Green Algae

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By Louise CullenBBC NI agriculture and environment correspondent

Two of Northern Ireland 's most popular beaches have been " red-flagged by the RNLI" as unsafe for bathing.

In a post on Social Media , The National Trust said potentially toxic blue-Green Algae had been found at Portstewart and Castlerock beaches.

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) sampling on Wednesday " confirmed" algae at Castlerock and " suspected blue-Green Algae " at Portstewart Strand .

They remain marked as " fully open".

But the RNLI red-flag status means bathing is not permitted and people should not enter the water under any circumstances.

Blue-green algal blooms have been detected at A Number of sites across Northern Ireland during the recent good weather.

Suspected algae was reported to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) at Castlerock Beach on 5 July by department samplers undertaking Bathing water testing.

It was confirmed as likely to be a potentially toxic species.

The Council and The National Trust were informed and erected signage warning users in the area of The Presence of potentially toxic blue Green Algae .

The NIEA said blue Green Algae in Lough Neagh has been widely communicated over The Past number of weeks and it has now moved downstream with natural flow of water out of The Lough through the River Bann , reaching the coast.

The Natural movement of the tides and wave action will Break Up The Algae , with some potentially washing up on The Shore .

It can cause illness in both humans and animals, with a

Rising temperatures and pollution create The Right environment for an algal bloom to happen.

Notices warning people not to swim in Lough Neagh were posted after the potentially toxic algae was discovered at several locations.

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The NIEA has encouraged people to get involved in citizen science and help monitor The Presence of blue-Green Algae .

The Bloomin' Algae App enables members of The Public to submit a photo of the bloom taken on their phone and state what activity takes place at the location, so that the potential risks to people and animals can be gauged.

Members of The Public can also report a suspected algae through The Incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or by e-mail.

The RNLI and DAERA have been asked for a comment.

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Source of news: bbc.com