Thailand’s fishermen fight extreme bright-green marine ‘dead zone’: ‘this is the first that I’ve seen it so bad’

Mussel farmers say they’ve racked up ‘unfathomable’ losses from an intense plankton bloom off the east coast that’s turning the sea a bright green

While the exact cause remains unclear, scientists believe pollution and the recent intense heat – as a result of climate change – are to blame

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A marine scientist from Thailand’s Kasetsart University takes a picture of green sea water caused by a plankton bloom along the Chonburi coastline. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:01pm, 20 Sep 2023

An unusually dense plankton bloom off the eastern coast of Thailand is creating an aquatic “dead zone”, threatening the livelihood of local fisherman who farm mussels in the waters.

Marine scientists say some areas in the Gulf of Thailand have more than 10 times the normal amount of plankton, turning the water a bright green and killing off marine life.

“This is the first that I’ve seen it so bad,” said marine scientist Tanuspong Pokavanich. “It is very severe.”

An aerial view of mussel farms at Chonburi surrounded by green seawater caused by the plankton bloom. Photo: Reuters

Plankton blooms happen one or two times a year and typically last two to three days, experts say. They can produce toxins that harm the environment, or they can kill off marine life by depleting the oxygen in the water and blocking sunlight.

Chonburi’s coasts are famous for their mussel farms, and more than 80 per cent of the almost 300 plots in the area has been affected, said Satitchat Thimkrajong, president of the Chonburi Fisheries Association.

Fisherman Suchat Buwat’s plot was one of those affected. He said the bloom had caused him losses of more than 500,000 baht (US$14,000), with his peers also racking up “unfathomable” losses.

While the cause of the intense plankton bloom remains unclear, scientists believe pollution and the intense heat caused by climate change are to blame.