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The River Oden wildlife killer case may have been solved

Credit: DW
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Mass fish, bird, and mollusc deaths were reported in Germany’s River Oder over the months of July and August. Germany’s Liebniz Institute of Freshwater Ecological and Inland Fisheries think they have figured out what could’ve caused it.

Golden algae – scientifically known as Prymnesium parvum’ – is a rare and invasive microorganism.

It thrives in brackish water, usually where flowing rivers meet the sea. In rare conditions, golden algae can grow at rapid speed and become extremely toxic to its surrounding environment – kind of like hyper-masculinity in online spaces.

Though more research is needed to discover the true toxicity of golden algae (especially whether it causes harm to humans and other animals), scientists believe this is what happened in the River Oder.

Around the end of July, authorities were notified of an β€˜environmental catastrophe’ occurring on the shores of Polish and German riversides, where over 100 tons of fish, molluscs, and birds were found dead.

Fish deaths in the Oder: "golden algae" is said to be responsible - News in Germany

After running multiple tests, scientists at the Institute of Freshwater Ecological and Inland Fisheries (IGB) found large quantities of golden algae in Oder water samples.

They believe this rare phenomenon could have only occurred due to elevated salinity levels in the water caused by industrial pollution, and they could be onto something.

Further investigation revealed that a local copper smelting company KGMH had released large amounts of salt water from its refinery into the river around the end of July and August.

Polish Waters, the government body that oversees the health of the inland waters, did not prevent or stop the water from being released, even when they had started noticing marine life in the area wasn’t handling it so well.

Algae toxins suspected of killing fish in Oder River – POLITICO

On the other hand, researchers believe hotter temperatures haven’t helped the health of the river.

Regular heatwaves and prolonged drought across Europe have caused the Oder River to shrink in size. As a result, the concentration of pollutants and salt in the leftover water begins to rise, causing an imbalance in the biology of the water.

IGB scientists warn that climate change could see harmful overgrowths of toxic algae occur in hotter, dryer summers.

This won’t be an isolated issue, as rivers around the world will be affected by climate change and ultimately see their salinity levels grow to nourishing levels for invasive algae species.

Authorities keeping a closer eye on what industrial factories are emptying out into the natural environment probably won’t help either!

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). Originally from Bermuda, I moved to London to get a Master’s degree in Media & Communications and now write for Thred to spread the word about positive social change, specifically ocean health and marine conservation. You can also find me dipping my toes into other subjects like pop culture, health, wellness, style, and beauty. Β Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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