DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has stated that a reported red spot in Qatari territorial waters is a natural phenomenon and there is no industrial pollution in the regional waters.
The ministry said its agencies responded swiftly and urgently formed a specialized team equipped with the latest devices and equipment to monitor and collect samples and examine the spot.
The examination carried out by the Water Environment Quality Team in the laboratories of the Environmental Monitoring and Inspection Department revealed that the red spot is an environmental phenomenon known as the ‘Red Tide’ caused by blooms of certain types of plankton and algae, leading to a clear change in the colour of the water to red - the colour of the plankton and algae that cause the phenomenon.
The rapid response of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and its prompt handling of the report comes within the framework of its role in preserving the environment and protecting it from pollution, through its specialized teams and experts who work to study any strange phenomenon and examine it scientifically.