Abruzzo. The inspections carried out by the Arta Abruzzo technicians, following a report from the Coast Guard, found the presence of the natural phenomenon of mucilage along the Abruzzo coast.
These are aggregates of polysaccharides (complex sugars), which do not pose a health problem for swimmers and appear in the form of small and large strips or networks of organic magma. Both yesterday, Friday 28 June, and today, 29 June, the mucilage was observed both in suspension and on the seabed in almost all stretches of the Abruzzo coast. The sighting began 3 days ago, about 3 miles from the coast; during the checks on 27 and 28 June, more consistent outcrops were detected. Off the coast of Francavilla, yesterday, a strip of mucilage was observed within 300 metres of the coast line, about 5 metres wide and tens of metres long, accumulated along the current front. Today the algae are present on almost the entire coast, creating apprehension and concern among swimmers. In this regard, it should be remembered that there is no danger for humans, apart from the annoying sensation and, in rare cases, the itching that can be caused by contact with the “macroflakes” of mucilage.
In recent days the phenomenon, coming from Veneto, had been observed along the coasts of Marche. The conditions of abundant rainfall of this last period, which have enriched the sea with nutrients through river contributions, have probably favored, together with the high temperatures, the proliferation of blooms of phytoplankton species that can secrete mucous-type substances as a completely natural physiological process.
Art Abruzzo will continue to monitor the situation and, if the phenomenon were to intensify, will carry out additional sampling, with analytical investigations, which will concern, in addition to the normal biological parameters, also the determination of chemical parameters, nutrients and phytoplankton.
