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.”
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.
