Recent monsoon rains and tidal surges are to blame for the overpowering, disagreeable stench that is plaguing Karachi’s coastal areas.
This smell is attributed by experts to the decomposition of sea plants, specifically phytoplankton. According to World Wide Fund (WWF) Pakistan advisor Mohammad Moazzam Khan, the foul-smelling phytoplankton that washes ashore at the end of the monsoon season is the cause of the stench.
Khan emphasized the existence of Sea Sparkle, or Noctiluca scintillans, a member of the phytoplankton community. He issued a warning, pointing out that these plants had the power to turn the sea green and could even be poisonous, increasing the mortality rate of marine animals.
He continued by saying that when such critters wash ashore, the putrid smell persists for hours or even days.
