Residents and marina goers in Maple Bay were shocked to find the water a bright orange colour over the long weekend.
It was caused by a bloom of a type of phytoplankton that favors warm water called Noctiluca according to Moira Galbraith a researcher from Fisheries and Oceans.
Galbraith says the perfect mix of conditions can cause blooms like this.
“It reacts to still water where you aren’t getting a lot of wind and the really intense heat comes on. Then they just bloom.”
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Galbraith stressed that the water is safe to swim in while the Noctiluca is active and that the plankton will create bioluminescent lights that can be seen at night.
