Harbours around Britain are being overtaken by algae. Photo: MAXPPP

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Harbours around Britain are being ‘suffocated’ by algae according to the Government’s environment watchdog. The green seaweed saps oxygen from water – meaning other marine life cannot survive – and spreads, taking over hundreds of acres of mudflats and estuaries. The Environment Agency (EA) is so concerned about the problem that it is mapping out how far the algae has spread using aerial images. Algae blooms happen when nutrients from sewage works or fertilisers from farms leak into the sea from rivers. A period of sunshine then allows the plant to grow. This year has been particularly bad after a spell of rain followed by warm weather. … David Lowthion, marine team leader at the EA, said the problem is set to get worse with climate change because of warmer wetter summers. Also as populations grow and farmers use more chemicals. “Green sea weed is growing in harbours around the UK in fairly large amounts and in some areas causing ecological issues,” he said. He said the seaweed can group up to several inches deep, starving invertebrates like worms and therefore affecting birdlife and other animals. “It suffocates the animals in the mud underneath and changes the whole balance of the ecosystem,” he said. …

Environment Agency launches investigation as algae problem spreads