A 10-km stretch of the shoreline between Kunthukal in Pamban and Vedalai in the Gulf of Mannar turned green and witnessed mass fish deaths.
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute conducted tests and concluded that the sudden blooming of ‘Noctiluca marine microalgae’ was to blame for the incident.
The high temperatures and good organic conditions in seawater had provided a conducive environment for the ‘green algae’ to breed and release spores.
Fishes have died due to ‘gill choking’ and had died of oxygen depletion and breathlessness.