The Pier and Pink Water

If you were around the Santa Monica Pier today and thought you saw pink water, don’t worry… you aren’t suffering from a sudden illness!

A research team comprised of members from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and The Bay Foundation will be conducting water current testing immediately around the Santa Monica Pier. Testing will be comprised of a controlled release of a pink-hued dye called Rhodamine Water Tracer (Rhodamine WT).

Today’s release, the first in a series, took place about 100 yards north of the pier. A second release is scheduled to take place 100 yards south of the pier next Monday, September 22, following with a possible additional release at the end of the month.

This testing coincides with an experiment held by the UCLA Coastal Flood Lab and The Bay Foundation from 2024 of how the breakwater structure affects water circulation and pollution around the Santa Monica Bay. The introduction of this dye in conjunction with favorable wave conditions will allow researchers to study current flow around the pier and breakwater. 

Rhodamine WT has been proven to be a safe, passive tracer agent posing no risk to people, animals or vegetation, according to UCLA officials.

Officials hope that results obtained by this experiment will help them better understand pollution in the area, hopefully affording advanced pollution management and safeguards. This will be the first time an experiment of this scale has taken place in Santa Monica Bay.