LIPI conducts study on poisonous red tide

LIPI conducts study on poisonous red tide

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Institute of Sciences is
conducting research on certain species of algae, which can
fatally poison marine life and people who consume infected
shellfish.

The institute's scientists are studying the red tide, an over
population of four species of poisonous algae named Pyrodinium,
Gymnodinium, Gambierdiscus and Trichodesmium.

When the algae population explodes, the color of the sea will
turn red, brown red or light green.

When this happens, the algae can also endanger the life of
fish, shrimps or other organisms in the water.

On Thursday, Anugerah Nontji, head of the institute's research
and development center for oceanology, told reporters that the
institute is not able to predict when the next algae population
explosion will be.

"This algae explosion is very unpredictable because they can
vanish in two or three days and the scientists won't find the
algae when they try to observe it," he said.

According to Anugerah, the institute has conducted a joint-
research with French scientists under the West Pacific Program to
expand the observation and has cooperated with Japan and Canada
to organize a training program in Jakarta and Ambon.

He said the institute also works with universities to deal
with potential problems of the red tide.

However, Anugerah added that the institute's scientists have
not been able to determine the level of poisoning because its
laboratory does not have the suitable instruments.(05)