Hawaii's "Pink Pond" Possibly Linked to Drought
A pond in the Maui Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Hawaii has turned a dreamy bubblegum pink, like a scene from the movie "Barbie," but it's not a party venue. Scientists say drought may be the cause of the phenomenon and warn against entering the water or attempting to drink it.
The Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge has been monitoring water quality in the area since Oct. 30, when staff were notified that the pond had turned pink. Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge manager Bret Wolfe said he was initially concerned that the pink coloration was the result of toxic algae, but laboratory tests found that a species called halobacteria may be the culprit. "Halobacteria are single-celled organisms that thrive in high-salt water, and samples from the reservoir's outfall showed that the area was twice as salty as seawater, but DNA testing is still needed to determine which species is responsible.
Bret Wolfe speculates that the recent drought may have contributed to the phenomenon, but even a 70-year volunteer has not experienced this phenomenon, nor has the site experienced periods of drought and high salinity, so there is still no exact cause for the pond's discoloration. But after the pink pond went viral on social media, curious tourists flocked to the site, and Bret Wolfe laughed, saying, "We want them to come here to learn about and protect endangered waterfowl and all that, but no, they're here to see the pink pond. He also said that the pink pond does not seem to have an effect on the birds, while local officials warned visitors not to try to enter the water or eat the fish caught there, as the cause of the discoloration and its effect on the human body are not yet known.
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