Photo of the week: A pink mangrove!

For several weeks now, a striking fuchsia-pink hue has been colouring the ponds at the ‘Biodiversity Mangrove Nursery’ and part of Griselle Pond, near the Salines d’Orient. Spectacular as it may be, this ‘pink mangrove’ phenomenon is well known. It is mainly due to a lack of rain and increased salinity – conditions that encourage the proliferation of micro-organisms naturally present in the water, such as photosynthetic bacteria and microalgae, which are responsible for this colouration. The phenomenon is reversible: the pink colour is expected to gradually fade with the much-anticipated return of rain to the area.