Algal Bloom in Ligurian Sea?

[Naughty Cat]

Does anyone know if there is an algal bloom in the Ligurian Sea at present? I can only find records tracking toxic blooms, not all blooms, so this would probably be from experience.

The reason I am asking is that we have been showered with large blobs of a brown substance twice on the north-bound crossing of the Ligurian sea in a broadly SE-NW trajectory. The substance is hitting the underside of the infrastructure as well as the trampoline and deck (we are a catamaran) so is not bird excrement. It is not oily, has no discernible taste, is quite consistent in appearance and persistent to remove.

We have not experienced it sailing south – could be just coincidence – only northbound about 4 weeks apart at night with a new moon.

After the first instance we thought it might be squid ink from squid being pursued. We doubt that we would experience this twice in the same place under similar conditions.

Does anyone have experience with algal blooms in general. Is our experience consistent with yours?