Extreme plankton bloom creates marine 'dead zone' off eastern Thailand

An unusually dense plankton bloom off the eastern coast of Thailand is creating an aquatic “dead zone”, threatening the livelihood of local fisherman who farm mussels in the waters

An unusually dense plankton bloom off the eastern coast of Thailand is creating an aquatic "dead zone", threatening the livelihood of local fisherman who farm mussels in the waters.

Marine scientists say some areas in the Gulf of Thailand have more than 10 times the normal amount of plankton, turning the water a bright green and killing off marine life.

"This is the first that I've seen it so bad," said marine scientist Tanuspong Pokavanich. "It is very severe."

Plankton blooms happen one or two times a year and typically last two to three days, experts say. They can produce toxins that harm the environment, or they can kill off marine life by depleting the oxygen in the water and blocking sunlight.

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Chonburi's coasts are famous for their mussel farms, and more than 80% of the almost 300 plots in the area has been affected, said Satitchat Thimkrajong, president of the Chonburi Fisheries Association.

Fisherman Suchat Buwat's plot was one of those impacted. He said the bloom had caused him losses of more than 500,000 baht ($14,000), with his peers also racking up "unfathomable" losses.