Blood red Caspian Sea frightened Aktau residents
Tengrinews.kz – The Caspian Sea coast near the 1st microdistrict in Aktau turned red. Local residents sounded the alarm, but environmentalists reassured Aktau residents.
Photos of the sea coast with blood-red stains were posted on social networks.
Photo from social networks
Local residents immediately became concerned, expressing fears that the "anomaly" could have been provoked by some chemical discharges. Environmentalists, however, assure that the picture is quite normal and does not threaten the environment or people.
"This is a common natural phenomenon that we observe every winter. Especially if there is snow, the bright red color looks frightening on white. It is brown algae that give this color," explained the head of the "Eco Mangystau" Kirill Osin.
Ecologists note that in cold weather, algae multiply and bloom, which creates such a "terrible" picture. The Mangistau Department of Ecology is also confident that the shore turned red due to algae, but they still took samples to rule out external influences.
"Samples were taken in the area of the beaches of ‘Dostar,’ ‘Nur-Plaza’ and the yacht club. According to the analysis, no chemical impact was detected in the sea. The algae do not cause any harm. This is a natural phenomenon, so there is no need to worry," commented Nurbolat Utemisov, a laboratory assistant in the hydrobiology department of the environmental research laboratory.
Earlier, videographer Nurken Tazhibay showcased the scale of the Caspian Sea's shrinking by filming a pier on the waterfront in Aktau.