Scientists in Shetland said tonight that the bright turquoise water that stretches from Yell in the north down to Sumburgh Head would not pose any risk to salmon farms.

Reports had been coming in earlier this week of the massive bloom that coloured the sea pale green and reduced visibility under water to three to four feet. It was initially feared it could be threatening aquaculture businesses in the area.

But Hanne Irvine, an EU research fellow based at the North Atlantic Fisheries College, in Scalloway, said the alga was non toxic.

"The single celled photosynthetic alga is a species of phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi is armoured with calcium carbonate platelets (coccolithophore)."

Emiliania huxleyi was by far the most abundant of its kind and Shetland's beautiful white sandy beaches were formed of the calcium carbonate platelets, she said.

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