About the strong offensive SMELL encountered at times near the Lynn or Revere, MA oceanfront (Boston: 2013, wedding)

[UsAll]

What is the origin or cause of the strong offensive SMELL sometimes encountered at times near the oceanfront of Lynn and maybe Revere? (Marblehead and/or Nahant too or not?)

The first time I ever encountered this smell years ago, I was coming back from a wedding in Marblehead, MA to Boston with a whole groups of others in a large station wagon and, with the driver going south through Lynn down the Lynnway and on toward Revere, an awful smell permeated the atmosphere all around us. It smelled like sewage or worse. Over the years, I've heard some persons say that this smell occurs when the ocean tide is low (or lower than normal) and it exposes rotting seaweed or kelp or algae; others have said it is rotting clams or rotting dead fish; others have said it is sewage (but, if so, where does this sewage come from and is it legal for sewage to be released directly into the ocean?); and so on.

One would think that for ANYWHERE situated along or near the oceanfront anywhere in the entire world, when the tides get low, one would have a similar smell occur if it was attributable to rotting seaweed or kelp or algae or dead fish or dead clams or other dead sea plant or animal life (as these type of life forms exist all over the world). But we all know that this does not occur whenever one is at or near the oceanfront everywhere in the world. So why does Lynn and maybe Revere as well (Marblehead and/or Nahant too?) experience this described strong smell and how often does this smell occur? (that is, does it occur at rather predicatable time intervals?)

So, for any of you reading this who actually KNOW FOR A FACT (not offering up guesses but ACTUAL KNOWN FACTS) what this smell origin or cause actually and truthfully is, please inform me. Just to satisfy my curiosity.

[professeurpablo]

As far as I know, it's generally right around Lynn Shore Drive, beginning around the Nahant causeway rotary and continuing up to the Swampscott line. The odor is caused by brown algae. Here's an article that came out last year about efforts to deal with the offending algae:

DCR chief says beach algae problem under control - Boston.com

[North Beach Person]

If there are tidal marshes, decaying vegetation in the marsh will have that smell.

[Beachcomber4]

Decaying organic matter that is emitting hydrogen sulfide gas.

[BostonMike7]

I live on revere beach. The smell is the algae. It usually affects Lynn Shore more than Revere Beach, but if the wind is right, I can smell it too down there.

It comes and goes, as there are times I'll go a summer without smelling it and forget all about it. Other times, it gets bad and I just avoid Lynn shore.

The algae is a reddish brown color...and when it's bad, the entire beach in Lynn is covered!

[North Beach Person]

We have a phenomenon here along the Chesapeake called Red Tide. The suspended algae in the water commences a mass die off. The oxygen in the water is so depleted fish suffocate, oysters die and crabs come ashore to escape it. It stinks so bad you want to die yourself.

Fortunately it doesn't happen on a large scale very often.

[luvmyhoss]

Not sewage, but rotting vegetation.

[johngolf]

We have similar along the SC coast in the marshes. It is what we call the Pluff Mud smell. Pluff Mud is the mud left alongside the marshes at low tide. Decomposing water life, vegetation, etc. It does not happen where the sea water hits directly like on the beaches, shore, etc. It is just from the marshes.

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by professeurpablo

As far as I know, it's generally right around Lynn Shore Drive, beginning around the Nahant causeway rotary and continuing up to the Swampscott line. The odor is caused by brown algae. Here's an article that came out last year about efforts to deal with the offending algae:

DCR chief says beach algae problem under control - Boston.com

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

If there are tidal marshes, decaying vegetation in the marsh will have that smell.

Originally Posted by Beachcomber4

Decaying organic matter that is emitting hydrogen sulfide gas.

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I live on revere beach. The smell is the algae. It usually affects Lynn Shore more than Revere Beach, but if the wind is right, I can smell it too down there.

It comes and goes, as there are times I'll go a summer without smelling it and forget all about it. Other times, it gets bad and I just avoid Lynn shore.

The algae is a reddish brown color...and when it's bad, the entire beach in Lynn is covered!

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

We have a phenomenon here along the Chesapeake called Red Tide. The suspended algae in the water commences a mass die off. The oxygen in the water is so depleted fish suffocate, oysters die and crabs come ashore to escape it. It stinks so bad you want to die yourself.

Fortunately it doesn't happen on a large scale very often.

Originally Posted by luvmyhoss

Not sewage, but rotting vegetation.

Originally Posted by johngolf

We have similar along the SC coast in the marshes. It is what we call the Pluff Mud smell. Pluff Mud is the mud left alongside the marshes at low tide. Decomposing water life, vegetation, etc. It does not happen where the sea water hits directly like on the beaches, shore, etc. It is just from the marshes.

Thank you to all of you (as quoted above) for your illuminating insight about this matter.

You know, the first time I ever encountered this smell (as I described it in my very first posting of this thread . . . in that large station wagon with maybe 7 or 8 men together in the vehicle), I actually thought that someone in the vehicle had passed gas and it was extremely powerful and awful. I didn't say anything but just thought to myself "Boy oh boy, that is the worst passing of gas that I have ever encountered in my entire life thus far. Whoever did that here must be extremely embarrassed! My God, they must have severe gastrointestinal problems!" Ha ha ha! And then someone in the vehicle mentioned a problem with the low tides (i.e., that this smell occurs when the ocean tides are below a certain level). So my misconception as to the smell's origin was cleared up right then and there (thank God). But, over time, I have heard varying explanations of what the base origin or cause of the smell from the ocean was (as described in my first posting of this thread). Now, with all your contributions to this thread, I now understand. That is, you ALL concur and declare the very same cause of this reoccuring smell along the North Shore of greater Boston, MA, USA and state so with authority . . . that it is decaying algae (not sewage, not dead sea animal life such as fish or clams or oysters). Thank you to all of you for your insight!

[gf2020]

It's caused by Pilayella littoralis, a form of brown algae, and it is found up and down the coast, not just in Lynn.

DCR chief says beach algae problem under control - Boston.com

Tests show foul odor in Quincy caused by brown algae - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger