Oregon Coast Photos of the Week: Weird Brown Foam
Published
04/23/2010

(Seaside, Oregon) – Seaside has recently been the recipient of loads of strange brown foam. The situation still lingers there, where it shows up fairly often, but it’s also been seen down on the central coast this month.
It is not pollution or some kind of oil spill. In fact, the culprit is a sign of a very healthy ocean: tiny, microscopic creatures called diatoms, which are a form of phytoplankton.

These shots, taken in fairly warm, sunny conditions on Thursday in Seaside, are of the area near “the cove” – which is the section of beach that hugs Tillamook Head. Currents cause the brown foam to show up more in some spots. Curiously, a fairly small patch of ocean (about 100 feet of length down the beach) had the really brown foam. North and south of that spot it was not nearly as pronounced.
Earlier this month, it started appearing along Lincoln County beaches, like Seal Rock, Newport and Depoe Bay, and this caused some residents to call the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) out of concern.

The DEQ office in Salem collected a sample, and analysis under a microscope confirmed it was indeed only this form of phytoplankton.
In Seaside, tourists will often flood local businesses and tourism entities with questions about the brown stuff, also fearful it’s pollution of some kind.
Diatoms are microscopic plant-like creatures that are actually responsible for most all sea foam you see on the beaches. They are about 100 micrometers long – or 1000 times the size of a virus. Still, they’re not visible with the naked eye.

The brown stuff often changes place – it moves around. It’s been seen as far south as Silver Point near Cannon Beach on one day this week, then the next day it was gone.
In this spot in Seaside on this day, it was causing really dark patches along with very dark, brown chunks of foam. These blobs of brown foam floated lazily along the waves. It also has the propensity to create dark, oily-looking patches in the sand as well as large tracts of brown foam and goo along the beaches.
More about the brown foam....
More About Oregon Coast lodging.....
LATEST OREGON COAST NEWS STORIES
Oregon Coast, Valley and Likely Washington Coast to Get Some Aurora Borealis ...
Likely just before dawn best hour but peak happens during daylight. Weather
Dark Sky Week is Prime Along Oregon Coast: Where and Where Not to Go
General guide to dark sky viewing from south to north coast. Astronomy
Sizable Price Drop, Deals in Lincoln City During Quiet of April on Central Or...
20 perc off at A1 Vacation Rentals across its roster, including Gleneden Beach. Lincoln City specials
Upcoming S. Oregon Coast Events Include Gem Show, History: Coos Bay, Bandon
May 6 talk at Coos History Museum, Mayfly Fest May 17, Bandon Rock / Gem Show June 7,8
Washington Coast Cleanup on April 19 - Coinciding with Oregon Coast's SOLVE E...
From the Puget Sound to Long Beach, alongside Oregon's cleanup. Washington coast events, Seaside events
Astoria's Riverwalk Gets New Lighting, More N. Oregon Coast Roadwork
Delays coming this summer, but the riverwalk has a new look. Seaside, Cannn Beach
April Gets Even Cheaper Midweek at Depoe Bay, Lincoln City: Oregon Coast Deals
Off-season rates plus more at Keystone Vacation Rentals. Depoe Bay lodging specials, Lincoln City hotel reviews, Newport hotel reviews
Washington Coast Begins Week of Clam Digs, April 12 Through 18
Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis at different times. Washington coast events
Astoria's Crab, Seafood, Wine Fest Floods N. Oregon Coast with Yumminess in A...
April 25 to 27 at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. Astoria events, Cannon Beach events
Oregon Coast Outdoors: Clamming, Crabbing, Surfing, Fishing, Boarding Deep Guide
The wilds of the coast and hang gliding, boating, mussels, hiking, fishing, crabbing, sandboarding, more. Sciences
Earth Week at N. Oregon Coast's Netarts Bay Gets Down, Dirty and Engaging
April 18 - 19 in Netarts: asking for volunteers. Oceanside events, Tillamook events
Plane Skids Off Runway on S. Oregon Coast, Into Coos Bay Waters
All five were rescued and are okay
Sip and Stroll Yachats Returns, Filling Oregon Coast Town with Vino and Delights
Saturday, April 19, 2025 going from 12 to 5 p.m. Yachats events
|
Back to Oregon Coast Beach Connection
Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net |
|
OREGON
COAST VIRTUAL TOURS
Explore Every Beach Spot |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unusual
Travel Articles TravelParanormal.com allows
you to submit your own creepy tale or debunk one - or see up-to-the-minute
news headlines about travel and the paranormal.
News
Headlines from All Over Oregon Need to scan Oregon headlines?
Constantly updated news from all over Oregon: a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute
display of news headlines from a variety of media
Follow us on
 |
|