What is your opinion of the Algal bloom off the coast of New Zealand?

Question

A swirling bloom directly east of the Banks peninsula -- stretching up to 100km north to south and up to 50km wide -- was caught by Nasa's Terra satellite last Saturday.

It is published on the space agency's website at http:/ /earthobservatory. nasa .gov/ Newsroom/NewImages/ images. php3.

Toxic blooms can kill a wide range of marine life, and shellfish contaminated by them can cause illness or even death in humans.

Do you feel that the presence of the bloom is directly related to the build up of agricultural fertiliser and raised sea temperature? Or is this a nartural phenomena that has nothing to do with man's activity in or out of the Ocean?

Answer 1

I've been told here in Florida, that algea blooms were never a problem untill we started dumping off the coast. When ever we had them they were never as big or as much of a problem before.

Answer 2

I don't know nething about new Zealand bu my first guess would be agriculture runoff filled with nitrates is the cause.