Lifeless rock pools at Sawtell

After cyclone Alfred whipped up a 'bacteria smoothy' along Australia's east coast the sea foam then merged with a 'flush' from the suburbs. Dislodged smelly sponges at Sawtell beach made breathing and contact impossible. Even without fossil fueled disasters the intertidal zone at the north end of the beach is barren. The rock pools and crevices no longer house sea anemones, crabs, black nerites, limpets, sea stars, mulberry oyster borers, algae, sea anemones, sponges, tube worms, sea stars, oysters, and fish.

Still good enough for hosting 'sports' and advertising events amplified by megaphone so they can be heard at Lord Howe Island too.

#FossilFuels #disasters #runoff #eutrophication #Seafoam #pollution #Nocardiae #sewage #SewageTreatment #NSW #Sawtell #beach #EventSpace #erosion #IntertidalZone #MarineLife #loss #biodiversity

Dozens of surfers fell ill after swimming in seas that turned into a ' #bacterial smoothie' of #sea_foam. What was in it?

#HAB #pollution #Nocardiae

https://theconversation.com/dozens-of-surfers-fell-ill-after-swimming-in-seas-that-turned-into-a-bacterial-smoothie-of-sea-foam-what-was-in-it-252506