Microalgae return to the Tenerife coastline

Calm seas, haze, and the unsettling rise in water temperature are once again facilitating cyanobacteria blooms along the coastline of Tenerife. With these ‘perfect’ conditions, the outcome is already being seen in various points of the island.

The so-called microalgae made a reappearance along the Tenerife coastline over the weekend, specifically in an area not particularly conducive to such events, the coast of the municipality of El Sauzal.

As partially seen in the accompanying images, the massive bloom of cyanobacteria was clearly visible from the La Garañona viewpoint on this part of the north coast of the island.

Rarely do we observe with such clarity the circumstances that facilitate such intense blooms of these algae, as the ocean was a haven of tranquillity, and the haze that nourishes them (as well as uncontrolled discharges) was perceptible to the naked eye.

The third key factor for the occurrence of this natural phenomenon is well-known. The ocean waters surrounding the Canary Islands have significantly increased in temperature since last March, as highlighted by the director of the Canary Islands Oceanographic centre, Pedro Vélez Belchí.

With these warmer weather conditions, particularly in the southwest, it is expected that these microalgae will reappear along the Costa Adeje coast and surrounding areas.