Latest news with #marimo
The Australian
03-08-2025
- Science
- The Australian
Mystery green balls wash up on NSW beach, believed to be marimo 'Neptune Balls'
Months after an epidemic of 'grease balls' washed up along the coastline, dozens of mysterious green balls have perplexed locals along a beach on NSW's south coast. Mel Christensen took her dog to Culburra Beach, about 100km south of Wollongong, where she was greeted with dozens of the strange-looking, mosslike balls. Green and velvety in appearance, the phenomenon littered the coast. 'We just headed to the beach for a morning walk this morning at about 8am and noticed dozens, and dozens of balls along the beach,' Ms Christensen said. 'And of course, my dog ran for one only to discover that they weren't actually tennis balls.' The said her dog, Gypsy, 'was in doggy heaven' upon finding the mystery balls. 'On closer inspection, they were soft perfectly spherical and made of what felt (and looked) like moss. 'The strong southerly wind was blowing them up the beach and it looked kind of crazy with all these balls rolling around everywhere.' Ms Christensen said the balls had spread almost a kilometre up the beach. The balls are believed to be a phenomenon known as 'Neptune Balls', these ones being marimo — a rare velvety form of algae. A local newsletter asked locals if they had seen the 'weird little moss balls' which it said are more commonly found in lakes and rivers in Japan and Northern Europe. 'But right now they can be seen on Culburra Beach.' Ainu people in Japan hold a festival for the marimo moss balls each year at Lake Akan, a Japanese lake known for growing large marimo. The mossy wash-up comes just months after the emergence of mysterious black balls, which closed nine beaches in NSW. Following an extensive investigation from the state's Environmental Protection Authority they were revealed to be debris from nearby sewage networks. 'While we are yet to determine exactly what caused the pollution incidents to occur when they did, we can say the composition and the characteristics of the debris balls are consistent with a land-based sewage source,' EPA director operations Adam Gilligan said at the time. The balls first appeared in Sydney's eastern suburbs in October last year, but an expanded investigation was launched as they started popping up on the state's south coast and northern beaches. Mystery balls on beaches finally explained Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. NewsWire Anthony Albanese has requested a phone call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, amid increased international pressure for Australia to recognise Palestinian statehood. NewsWire A much-loved social outlet for workers is under threat, as this group of Australians can no longer afford it.
News.com.au
03-08-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
‘Dozens along the beach': Locals perplexed as mystery green balls wash up on NSW beach
Months after an epidemic of 'grease balls' washed up along the coastline, dozens of mysterious green balls have perplexed locals along a beach on NSW's south coast. Mel Christensen took her dog to Culburra Beach, about 100km south of Wollongong, where she was greeted with dozens of the strange-looking, mosslike balls. Green and velvety in appearance, the phenomenon littered the coast. 'We just headed to the beach for a morning walk this morning at about 8am and noticed dozens, and dozens of balls along the beach,' Ms Christensen said. 'And of course, my dog ran for one only to discover that they weren't actually tennis balls.' The said her dog, Gypsy, 'was in doggy heaven' upon finding the mystery balls. 'On closer inspection, they were soft perfectly spherical and made of what felt (and looked) like moss. 'The strong southerly wind was blowing them up the beach and it looked kind of crazy with all these balls rolling around everywhere.' Ms Christensen said the balls had spread almost a kilometre up the beach. The balls are believed to be a phenomenon known as 'Neptune Balls', these ones being marimo — a rare velvety form of algae. A local newsletter asked locals if they had seen the 'weird little moss balls' which it said are more commonly found in lakes and rivers in Japan and Northern Europe. 'But right now they can be seen on Culburra Beach.' Ainu people in Japan hold a festival for the marimo moss balls each year at Lake Akan, a Japanese lake known for growing large marimo. The mossy wash-up comes just months after the emergence of mysterious black balls, which closed nine beaches in NSW. Following an extensive investigation from the state's Environmental Protection Authority they were revealed to be debris from nearby sewage networks. 'While we are yet to determine exactly what caused the pollution incidents to occur when they did, we can say the composition and the characteristics of the debris balls are consistent with a land-based sewage source,' EPA director operations Adam Gilligan said at the time. The balls first appeared in Sydney's eastern suburbs in October last year, but an expanded investigation was launched as they started popping up on the state's south coast and northern beaches.
