Algae blooms seen in the Chesapeake

Cranberry-colored algae is appearing on the beaches of Newport News -- the result of algae blooms appearing in the lower Chesapeake Bay, The Daily Press reports.

The blooms are fueled by hot summer weather and recent rains. The dark veins of algae have been spotted in the lower Chesapeake Bay from Matthews County south to Norfolk.

Christy Everett of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the blooms are yet another sign that the bay's water quality is "out of balance."

Single cells of algae divide rapidly as the water warms and then multiply when nutrient-rich fresh water is flushed into the bay by heavy rains.