Matsu’s Blue Tears a sign of Environmental Crisis
[Picture: Lienchiang County Government]
Pictures that went viral on the Internet showing the beauty of “blue tears” in the ocean around the Matsu Islands are actually a sign of an environmental crisis, according to sources cited in a report on Liberty Times Network.
Between April and September, bioluminescent plankton emit a blue light, resulting in a phenomenon locals on the Matsu Islands call “blue tears.”
The plankton, known to science as dinoflagellates, feed on nutrients in the water.
While the appearance of the blue tears of Matsu might appear attractive to photographers and visiting tourists, it’s actually an ecological warning sign, according to the report.
The coastal waters of China are too rich in nutrients.
Agricultural run-off was cited as a suspect in the Liberty Times article. No mention was made of human poo.
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Original Article : https://www.natgeomedia.com/news/external/44980
News 1 : http://m.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2038214
News 2 : http://taiwanenglishnews.com/matsus-blue-tears-a-sign-of-environmental-degradation/
In original article, the author doesn’t mention blue tears as an ecological warning sign. On the other side, it said blue tears is a natural phenomenon. Dinoflagellates cause blue tears, and diatoms cause phenomenon of algal bloom. So the appearance of dinoflagellates, is actually the killer of diatoms, the terminator of algal bloom. When diatoms are more popular, dinoflagellates will also be more popular. So the appearance of blue tears is actually a natural phenomenon of the rise and decrease of preys and predators. I think the major error of News1 and News2 is that the two articles both mention blue tears as an ecological warning sign. And this contradicts with the original author’s point.
Thanks for the clarification, Muting Chien.