A pond at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge in Maui, Hawaii, has turned bright pink, prompting scientists to warn visitors to stay out of the water and avoid drinking from it while they probe what caused the mysterious change.
Refuge staff have been monitoring the pond since the end of October and believe that drought may be the culprit.
Laboratory tests have recently eliminated an algal bloom. This occurs when the algae grow excessively. Fish and Wildlife Service is now looking at the organism halobacteria, which thrives in a high-salt environment.
No one, not even volunteers who’ve been watching the refuge since 70 for years has ever reported seeing the pond turning pink. This is true even in past droughts.
“I just got a report from somebody that was walking on the beach, and they called me up like, ‘There’s something weird going on over here,'” refuge manager Bret Wolfe told the Associated Press.
He said the pond’s current salinity level is currently 70 parts per thousand — more than twice that of seawater.
“We will be continuing to gather information and will keep the public informed,” said the USFWS said. “As a precautionary measure, we recommend that people keep a safe distance and not enter the water, don’t consume any fish from the water, and ensure that pets don’t drink the water.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The article Hawaiian Wildlife Refuge Pond Turns Bright Pink, Prompting Scientists to Investigate first appeared on Fox News .
