A pond at a wildlife refuge on Maui has turned bright pink, drawing curious onlookers to glimpse this otherworldly sight and prompting warnings from federal wildlife officials to keep a safe distance.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it has been monitoring the unusual transformation since Oct. 30 and has been working with the Department of Aquatic Resources and the Hawaii State Department of Health to determine its cause and a possible course of action.
Preliminary analyzes of water samples by the University of Hawaii (UH) suggest that the pink hue of the water is “not likely to be toxic algae” like those that cause harmful red tides. However, the USFWS advises people to avoid contact with the pond until further testing can be completed.
“As a precautionary measure, we recommend people keep a safe distance and not enter the water, do not consume fish from the water, and ensure that pets do not drink the water.”
For now, the USFWS is attributing the Pepto Bismol-like color of the water in the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge to a single-celled organism called halobacteria, which thrives in highly salty waters.
Wildlife officials said the pond’s current salinity levels are over 70 parts per thousand, twice that found in seawater, which is creating favorable conditions for bacteria.
UH is working to determine the exact strain of the halobacteria, at which time the USFWS said it will keep the public informed.
A pond at a wildlife refuge in Maui has turned bright pink. Sue LaChapelle/LOCAL NEWS
The color is attributed to an organism called halobacteria.
Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is a coastal marsh hugging the south central coast of Maui. The typically freshwater pond occupies about 400 acres during the winter rainy season and shrinks to about half its size during the spring and summer months.
Keālia Pond was designated a wildlife refuge in 1953 and became part of the National Wildlife Refuge System in 1992.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn