People have been fascinated by the volume of foam blanketing local beaches, and even nearby roads and paths, so we thought we’d find out more about it for you.

The message is that while it might look harmless, it is best to watch from a distance to be on the safe side.

“The sea foam is a natural phenomenon but it can be exacerbated by human activity,” says our go-to marine scientist Dr Kye Adams, who grew up here and got his PhD studying shark activity.

“It’s basically caused by the churning action of waves stirring up surfactants, which are termed dissolved organic matter (DOM). They are organic molecules from various sources that naturally occur in waterways and offshore.

“There’s two possible causes generally speaking. One would be an algal bloom - once the algae die, the cells are left in the water and if there’s swell around then they get churned up and create that foam.

Surf Beach is home to a wobbly mass of foam

“The other source would be due to the flushing out of waterways by the rain that is happening up and down the East Coast right now.

“There’s naturally high levels of organic matter in those river systems that are getting flushed out into the ocean and when that is combined with a larger swell, it gets whipped up into the foam.

“It is accumulating in spots like Surf Beach because there’s nowhere else for it to go but if the swell drops or the rains subside then the foam will dissipate over a few days.”

While the foam might look fun to play in, it is recommended not to go in it due to the high levels of organic matter and possibility of pathogens that are present in storm water systems or flood run off.

“I probably wouldn’t recommend playing in the foam because of that high level of organic matter and the fact that flooding can inundate septic systems and there’s often harmful bacteria that can find its way into waterways,” says Dr Adams.

Kiama Council’s Environmental and Sustainability Officer, Byron Robinson, agrees and is advising locals not to go swimming or playing in the foam.

“The recommendations are that it can potentially be a risk to human health because all the matter that comes from the runoff mixes with the foam,” he says.

Werri Beach - the foam had to be moved off Pacific Avenue, near the Surf Club

“We’ve had a lot of runoff from the urban, agricultural and rural areas all along the coast so we’re going to have elevated nutrient and pollutant levels for the foreseeable future.

“Looking at the weather forecast we are due for potentially up to another 50-80mm of rain over the weekend and an increasing southerly swell.

“If that happens then we are going to be in the same situation again, with conditions to create more sea form as well as the erosion of the local beaches.”

To stay up to date with water quality levels and whether a beach is safe for swimming, visit: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/beachmapp/

All local beaches and pools remain closed.