An unusual phenomenon, known as the red tide, has hit the waters off the coast of Chabahar. "The tide has been observed in recent days in international waters near Chabahar's oceanic waters, turning the color of water to brownish red," the director of the center for Oceanography Studies of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman, Amir Qazilou, said in a talk with IRNA on Thursday. "In the past, the phenomenon has inflicted serious damage on water desalination facilities at the city of Konarak, causing weeks-long cuts in water supply," Qazilou said, but assured that the facilities have so far been safe from the current red tide. He said Ceratium Furca, the species responsible for the tide, is "likely" non-toxic. Red tide occurs when coastal waters experience color change due to the proliferation of algal blooms.
