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A wild pond on the Hawaiian island of Maui, which suffered extensive forest fire damage last August, has turned dark pink and is attracting extraordinary attention.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on the 10th (local time), staff at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui Island, Hawaii, have been monitoring pond water that has turned pink since the 30th of last month. there is.
If you look at the photos released by the USFWS, you can see that the color of the water surface of the large pond is a dark pink, which can be called ‘hot pink’.
USFWS is working with the Hawaii Department of Water Resources and Department of Health to conduct an investigation to determine the cause.
Authorities collected water samples and requested analysis from the University of Hawaii (UH), and preliminary findings suggested that single-celled organisms called ‘halobacteria’ may be the cause.
Halobacteria are organisms found in waters with high salinity. The authorities explained that the current salinity concentration in Kealia Pond is higher than 70 ppt (per thousand), which is twice the salinity of seawater.
The analysis is that water with such high salinity creates favorable conditions for the growth of halobacteria, giving the water a pink color.
The University of Hawaii is conducting additional analysis to determine the exact strain of halobacteria.
Authorities said the pond’s color does not appear to be due to the toxic algae that typically causes red tide.
However, as the exact cause is not known, visitors are advised not to approach or enter the water.
In addition, when people flocked to see the unusual changes in the pond and some attempted to film with drones, he warned, “Drones are not allowed,” and “It may interfere with the birds’ ability to find food and rest in the protected area.” .
The Associated Press and CNN reported that the ongoing drought in Hawaii is causing abnormally high salinity levels in the island’s fresh water.
Approximately 90% of Maui is suffering from severe drought, a situation that has worsened since the deadly wildfires that swept through western Lahaina on August 8. The forest fire that struck Lahaina at the time killed about 90 people, making it the worst forest fire to occur in the United States since the 1918 Minnesota forest fire (453 deaths).
The Kealia region is next to Kihei, which suffered forest fire damage along with Lahaina, and is one of the areas on the island where drought is particularly severe.
The Associated Press reported that volunteers who have maintained the pond for the past 70 years said, “I have never seen the pond change this color.”
In this winter’s climate outlook report released last month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that Hawaii’s drought could continue or worsen due to the effects of climate change and El Niño.
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2023-11-11 00:00:40
