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)