Sea lettuce no picnic for Mount residents
Wednesday January 24, 2007
By Juliet Rowan  


Sea lettuce poses no threat to humans, but does to ships' engines. Picture / Alan Gibson

It's green, ankle-deep and threatening to cause a stink at Mt Maunganui. Sea lettuce has washed up in thick patches, some up to a kilometre long, on the Mount beaches in the past few days.

Locals say it is the largest quantity of the grass-coloured algae in years, and, unless the tide takes it away, it will begin to rot and smell.

The regional council, Environment Bay of Plenty, has monitored sea lettuce in the area since the early 1990s and says its appearance is linked to an El Nino weather event.

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