– Researcher says it is by no means common in western Norway.
– On Monday morning when the girls had to take a morning shower we saw it all in our pool, says Paul Fredriksen.
While he was in the Røttingen/Lepsøy area in Ouse, he and his daughter discovered the rust-red color of the water.
– It doesn't look very hungry, so no morning bath. We were afraid that something might leak. As we headed home towards Bergen, we saw it all along the coastline, says Fredriksson.
But emissions are often absent.
– Gives excellent light display
BT has sent the images to researcher Lars Johan Nastvoll at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, who says it is a concentration of the microalga Noctiluca scintillans, often referred to as “morrilled algae”.
He says that these types of collections give “choco-water,” a rust-red color to the water during the day.
– At night, it will provide an amazing light show. When you touch the water it emits a blue light, says Nastvoll.
According to the researcher, the species has caused discolouration of the water from Larvik to Nordhartland in recent weeks.
– The species is considered harmless to us humans, and may be perceived as visually negative by some with a reduced desire to swim in water with this color, says Nastvoll.
— Uncommon in western Norway
On the website of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, they write that this phenomenon is common in southern Norway, but certainly not in western Norway.
– Naustvoll says every time you see “choco-water” in large accumulations like this year, it takes years.
BT has received many reports of this algae, and some have even seen a light display in the evening.
Paul Friedrich said there was no discharge or anything dangerous at the water's edge through the canal.
– There are fish farms in the area, so we are closely monitoring the changes in the water, he says.
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