Algae carpet spreads, holidaymakers ‘escape’

“As usual, August is considered the main holiday period for Italians. But those who have now come to the seaside resort of Rimini on the Adriatic coast are out of luck: the water on the coast is covered with a strange foam,” writes an X user, posting a video with evidence and asking: “Would you be in such a case: ‘Would you like to bathe in such water?’

Video of algae slime in Rimini, Italy:

Similar photo in Rovinj, Croatia. A user posts a photo on Facebook that also shows the notorious algae slime – or ‘sea snot’ – in strong form. On numerous beaches, holidaymakers are “having to deal with the disgusting stuff”, complains “Bild”. The popular holiday resorts of Rovinj and Poreč are currently particularly affected.

Photo of the algae slime in Rovinj, Croatia:

The slime seems to be getting thicker – and if you look around social media and talk to people coming back from vacation, it seems to be appearing more often and consistently around late lunchtime. Experts estimate that this probably has something to do with the water temperature: in the Adriatic Sea, it is now over 28 degrees Celsius, and in some cases even over 30 degrees.

In Pula too, the swimming fun is somewhat spoiled:

A true paradise for the so-called phytoplankton, which multiplies particularly quickly at high temperatures – hence also called ‘algal bloom’. Waste water or agricultural waste can also serve as a breeding ground.

A few weeks ago, the ‘Krone’ had the opportunity to get a sense of the situation in Rovinj for himself – and also asked marine biologist and underwater photographer Marc Stickler: ‘It may be unpleasant for people, but it is (healthcare-related, note) “It is harmless,” he reassured.

But the denser the carpet, the more unpleasant bathing becomes. It is generally recommended to take a thorough shower afterwards.

“We just have to change bays”
Kristijan Antic, who runs a boat rental company in Croatia, also has a very valuable tip in his blog: “For us water sports enthusiasts, when the sea is blooming, we have a clear advantage: we only have to change the bay.”

And what if you don’t have a boat? Even then you should probably try to find bays that are “open to the south or east”. There will be less sea snot there”, locals are sure.

Bad for fishing
The fishermen’s association Confcooperative Fedagripesca also says that the problem of algae slime has been exacerbated by the heat waves of recent weeks. The slime obstructs the propellers and makes cleaning the mechanical elements very difficult. There have also been complaints about damage to the nets.

Heat also brings jellyfish etc.
But the slime is just a symptom: the effects of climate change are now becoming increasingly apparent. With water temperatures above 30 degrees, Italian experts were already talking about a “tropicalization” of the Mediterranean at the end of July. The jellyfish invasions, which are increasingly reported in the summer, are also a sign of the climate changes affecting the Adriatic.

“Adriatic Sea has reached temperatures of Maldives”
“The Adriatic Sea has reached the temperatures of the Maldives, but without colors,” marine biologist Roberto Danovaro told La Repubblica newspaper. The heatwave has made living conditions ideal for tropical fish, which are becoming increasingly widespread in the Adriatic.

It sounds innocent, but it is still impossible to predict what long-term consequences climate change will have. Biologists and chemists are testing the water in the Adriatic Sea this summer. The aim is to get a more precise picture of what is actually happening in the water as a result of climate change.