Napier's Red Sea probably harmless algae bloom 24 Feb, 2021 02:57 AM 2 minutes to read The red 'stripe' of algae was clearly visible off Napier. Photo / Ian Cooper Doug Laing is a senior reporter for Hawke's Bay Todaydoug.laing@nzme.co.nzHawkesBayToday A reddish-brown drift across the ocean off Napier has been confirmed as an algal bloom unlikely to be a risk to human health. The results of testing this week were revealed by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council soon after 5pm on Wednesday. Team leader Marine and Coast Anna Madarasz-Smith said samples had been tested by the Cawthron Institute, with the "most dominant species" confirmed to be lingulodinium, which causes red tides.