COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, France (Reuters) - Normandy's D-Day beaches, where Allied troops landed in June 1944 to free Europe of Nazi occupation, are being invaded by green algae.
Beaches such as Omaha and Juno, visited by millions of tourists each year, struggle with the algae, which is not toxic, but the stench as it decomposes can be a turnoff.
"It's gross, the algae stinks as it rots and it attracts flies," said Sylvie, who lives in Caen.
Ever day, resort towns use tractors to shovel the algae to the far end of the beaches at low tide, but winds push the green, red and brown seaweed back onto the beaches where in some areas it piles up metre-deep against the boardwalks.
"We sometimes get complaints at tourist offices, with people asking where the algae comes from, but people who know Normandy are used to it," said Nathalie Papouin, deputy head of the Terres de Nacre tourist office.
The Calvados region in western France gets about 9 million visitors per year, of whom nearly half visit the D-Day beaches.
Benoit Mouline, an official with the Calvados environment service, said the algae comes back every year, especially around mid-August, when northeasterly winds and strong tides cut it from the rocks on which it grows and throw it onto the beaches.
Unlike in Brittany, Normandy's algae growth is not primarily the result of agricultural fertilizer runoff and waste from pig farms washing into the sea.
"This year we have had a lot of northerly winds, and some local people say there's more algae than before, but that may be subjective," said Benjamin Potel of the Clean Coast association.
Climate change could also play a role, he said, as warmer waters boost algae growth and reduce the number of shellfish and other organisms that feed on it.
"The amount of algae never diminishes, it steadily increases over the years," said Stephane Dobriansky.
His startup company Ecovalgue plans to work with resort towns to collect some of the up to 20,000 tonnes that wash up on the Normandy coasts annually for use in cosmetics, animal feed and bioplastics.
Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Robin Pomeroy
See the original post:
Normandy's D-Day beaches invaded by green algae - Reuters
- Seabean Symposium-Live Blogging [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Alvaro Jaramillo Talks Gulls at 2010 Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Fall Sunset on Anna Maria [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Fort Myers Beach Photos Revisited [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Reinier Munguia Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Wilderness Matters [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Raptor Project Brings Winged Predators to Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Sandscupting Festival on Fort Myers Beach [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- David Allen Sibley to Deliver Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival 2010 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims & Paddle Florida on the Suwannee River [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico, Central America [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Port Charlotte Beach Park, Port Charlotte, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Kent in South Beach, Miami – Budget Beach Hotel in Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Key West, Florida Dog Beach – Where Pooches Can Play [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Startling White Sand of Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Palm Island Beach, Cape Haze, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- A Surfer’s Paradise at Punta Morena Beach, Cozumel [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Sand the Color of Olives: Papakolea Beach, Hawaii [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Visiting Indialantic Beach? Check out the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Beach [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Say Good-bye to Manatee County Public Beach Pier [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Eco-tourism Field Trips at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Birding at Sea: Pelagic Birding Aboard the Pastime Princess [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Video Clip [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Gulfster’s Surf Trip to Puerto Rico [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes, St. Petersburg, FL [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims: An Outdoorsman to Follow [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- How Big is This Wave? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Birders: Making a List and Checking it Forever [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Hunting Island State Park – Dog Friendly Beach in Beaufort, SC [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Beach Hotels in Ocean Park, Washington [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- San Diego, CA – Ocean Beach Dog Beach [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Best Beaches for Collecting Sea Glass [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Swimwear in 2010 combines key trends [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- S-Turns Beach in Rodanthe, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Wiped Out By Nor’easter [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- In Awe at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Summertime in the Outer Banks, North Carolina [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Panama City Beach May Not Welcome Spring Breakers in 2010 [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Bahia Honda Beach near Key West, Florida [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Regarding Florida Beach Ownership [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Historic Sites of Canaveral National Seashore [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Myrtle Beach Building Boardwak Along Beachfront, Adding Amenities [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Barrier Island Center Upcoming Events 2010 – Melbourne Beach, Florida [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Florida Wildflowers & Plants – Space Coast Birding Festival Field Trip [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Jellyfish in Long Beach Aquarium [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Heron Island in Great Barrier Reef under new management [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2009]
- Sunset on Longboat Key [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2009]
- Pishing With Pete at the Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2009]
- Summer is Over, but it Lives on My Hard Drive [Last Updated On: December 25th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 25th, 2009]
- 800 Pound Beachball to Drop Over Panama City Beach, Florida on New Year’s Eve [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2009]
- Birding by Ear and Habitat with Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2009]
- Prevention of Overfishing of Coral Reefs Reduces Occurrence of Coral Diseases [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Florida Screech Owls Encouraged by Nest Boxes [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Cayo Costa Photo Memories [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Family Activities at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2009]
- BeachHunter’s Top 10 Beach Photos in 2009 [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2010]
- Viera Wetlands is a Premier Birding Destination in Brevard County [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2010]
- Here are a Few More Florida Summer Beach Memories. [Last Updated On: January 3rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 3rd, 2010]
- Lake Morat Puts the Beach in Swiss Beaches [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Smoking Banned at Beaches Around the Country [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Identifying Gulls – A Field Trip to Brevard County Landfill [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Victoria and Albert Museum in London Sponsors World Beach Project [Last Updated On: January 7th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2010]
- Does It Snow in Florida? [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Sun, sand and history found in Bodrum, Turkey [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Winter swimming rules at Den Haag’s beaches. [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Boats, Kayaks and Birds [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2010]
- A Hidden Gem – San Agustinillo, Oaxaca, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Penguins on the Beach at Betty’s Bay [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Robert Amoruso Photography Workshops at Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Scuba Diving with Bull Sharks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2010]
- California Beach Tradition Threatened [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2010]
- Who’s Going to the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival? [Last Updated On: January 15th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 15th, 2010]
- Getting Away From It All in the Dry Tortugas [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2010]
- History of the Bikini [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2010]
- Conservation and the Economics of Birding [Last Updated On: January 20th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 20th, 2010]
- Landlocked Swiss Hit the Beach at Lake Zurich [Last Updated On: January 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2010]
- Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag Beaches [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]
- A beach of sorts in old Dun Laoghaire. [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]
- Beach Sunrise Memories [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]