A massive algae bloom suffocated more than 8 million farmed salmon in Norway last week. 25.5 million pounds of Atlantic salmon valued at more than $82 million is the cost so far. The disaster hitting the world’s largest farmed salmon producer will impact supply and fish prices all over the world.
The algae has a chemical composition that affects the membranes of the cells and they are destroyed, so the fish dies due to lack of oxygen.
Though the algae bloom is a natural event, fish growers and Norwegian reserachers said it is rare for it to be so concentrated and so lethal.
Talking to NRK, researcher Halvor Dannevig believes the situation is a side effect of climate change He said the emission of greenhouse gases is likely to make the situation even worse.
“The pH value of the sea is lower when the ocean absorbs CO2.We assume that by 2050 the sea will be more acidic. A warmer and more acidic sea will make the poisonous algae bloom and lead to even worse problem in the future, says Dannevig to NRK.
