A bit of sun makes Puget Sound plankton bloom

Published 1:40 pm Wednesday, June 22, 2011

OLYMPIA — The Ecology Department says tests confirm the reddish-orange color to the water in parts of central Puget Sound is harmless plankton called Noctiluca.

Spokeswoman Sandy Howard said Wednesday the plankton may have bloomed because of a bit of recent sunshine. It is not the so-called red tide that refers to paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Howard says the department appreciates people who reported seeing streaks in the water that look like tomato soup. The department wants to know about possible pollution.