'It's Not A Halloween Prank' - What's Behind A Maui Pond's Mysterious Pink Colour?

 

A seaside pond in Maui, Hawaii, United States, has turned so pink that it seems like it belongs on the set of “Barbie.” However, this strange but lovely phenomena isn’t reason to throw a dance party.

Since October 30, personnel at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge have been keeping an eye on the pink water. Fish and birds that live in the waterbody do not appear to be impacted.

The manager of the refuge, Bret Wolfe, was worried that the enigmatic pink color might indicate an algal bloom. Lab tests, however, identified a different culprit. It might be a halobacteria-type bacterium.

At present, the salinity within the Kealia Pond exit area exceeds 70 parts per thousand, which is double the salinity of saltwater. High salinity bodies of water are ideal for halobacteria growth.

The cause is probably Maui’s drought. Waikapu Stream typically feeds into the pond, raising the water levels there, but Wolfe claimed it hasn’t in a while.

The stream empties into Kealia’s main pond and into the bubblegum pink outlet area when it rains. This will lessen the salinity and maybe alter the color of the water.