An abnormal "bloom" and a change in water color have been observed in the Sea of Azov
Unusual environmental phenomena for late spring have been observed in the Sea of Azov, including a change in water color and a massive accumulation of algae along the coast. Experts suggest that this may indicate significant changes in the body of water’s ecosystem.
This was reported by Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of the Occupation.
According to him, an abnormally early “bloom” of algae has been observed in the Sea of Azov in May, whereas previously such phenomena were usually recorded only in late summer, in August.
“In May, the Sea of Azov is abnormally washing algae ashore and changing the color of the water. It looks like active algal blooms. The problem is that such phenomena used to be typical for August, during the peak of the heat and seasonal changes. Now it’s happening at the end of May,” he noted.
Environmentalists link these processes to possible changes in temperature and salinity regimes, disruptions in water exchange, pollution, and the degradation of coastal ecosystems.
According to estimates, the situation may indicate a critical state of the marine ecosystem, and the atypical dynamics may signal long-term changes that already go beyond seasonal fluctuations.
It is also noted that, according to Andriushchenko, such phenomena are yet another manifestation of the environmental consequences of the war and occupation, which affect not only infrastructure and cities but also the region’s natural environment.
Earlier, a mass die-off of jellyfish was recorded in the Black Sea in the coastal zone of the Odesa region. According to observations, moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) and box jellyfish were found in the water. The cause of the phenomenon is attributed to changes in conditions in the coastal waters, specifically pollution and “oil slick,” though the exact factors are still being determined.
