SINGAPORE – The water quality issue that affected the World Aquatics Championships open water swimming events at Sentosa earlier in July has also struck the World Aquatics Masters Championships, with the morning and afternoon open water training sessions cancelled on July 25.

World Aquatics sent a message to participants and explained that the decision was made because of “water quality levels exceeding acceptable thresholds”.

The world governing body added that a technical meeting is planned for 4.45pm and that it will “continue monitoring water quality” and provide more information, before the competition starts on July 26 with the women’s 3km race in the waters off Palawan Beach. The men’s 3km event is scheduled for a day later.

The July 26-Aug 22 World Aquatics Masters Championships is expected to feature about 6,000 athletes from around 100 countries and territories aged 25 and above, competing in swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming.

The Straits Times has contacted the local organising committee for comment.

At the World Aquatics Championships, the men and women’s 10km open water swimming events were postponed due to “unacceptable water quality results”.

The women’s 10km initially scheduled for July 15 was moved to July 16, 10.15am, about three hours after the men’s 10km, because water samples drawn at the race site two days earlier showed “exceeding levels” of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

However, results from a July 15 sample showed that the levels were still above acceptable thresholds, causing the men and women’s flag-offs to be further delayed to 1pm and 4pm respectively on July 16. The competition proceeded as scheduled from then on.

E. coli is a bacteria commonly found in the intestines of people and animals. While most strains are harmless, some can cause serious illness such as diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and sepsis.

According to World Aquatics regulations, E. coli levels in ocean and transitional (tidal) waters must not exceed 250 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres.

ST understands that World Aquatics adopts stricter water quality standards compared to guidelines set for recreational swimming, given the prolonged exposure faced by athletes during competition.

Earlier, World Aquatics executive director Brent Nowicki had noted that water quality disruptions were not unprecedented, with the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s triathlon postponed hours before the scheduled start due to pollution levels in the River Seine.

ST also reported that while the National Environment Agency does not usually assess marine water quality based on E. coli levels, it has started monitoring the bacteria levels at Sentosa’s beaches following the recent incidents.

World Aquatics ChampionshipsSwimmingSentosaBacteriaWorld championships

Saturday marked another moment of recognition and pride across Black College athletics with the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards presentation.

Hosted by HBCU Sports Founding Publisher and Editor Kenn Rashad alongside Jarrett Hoffman and Chris Stevens, the annual virtual event spotlighted the very best in HBCU sports. It honored athletes in 23 categories, coaches in 12, and administrators in 10 from institutions across the Division I, Division II, and NAIA landscape.

In addition to celebrating competitive excellence, the show also recognized extraordinary service by presenting this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards to two iconic contributors, Patricia Cage-Bibbs and Rob Brodway.

Below is the complete list of winners from the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards:

2025 HBCU Sports Awards Winners

Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Spirit Morgan, North Carolina A&T

Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Joseph Briscoe, Virginia State

Women’s Track & Field Runner of the Year
Shaneal Clarke-Giddings, Lincoln (Mo.)

Men’s Track & Field Runner of the Year
Brian Kemei, Morehouse

Women’s Track & Field Sprinter of the Year
Kevell Byrd, Dillard

Men’s Track & Field Sprinter of the Year
Jamarion Stubbs, Alabama State

Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year
Kiersten Eggleton, West Virginia State

Women’s Tennis Player of the Year
Sofya Chursina, South Carolina State

Men’s Tennis Player of the Year
David Jeanne-Grandinot, Alabama State

Softball Player of the Year
Taylor Ames-Alexander, South Carolina St.

Baseball Player of the Year
Cardell Thibodeaux, Southern

Women’s Golfer of the Year
Paris Fieldings, Howard

Men’s Golfer of the Year
Jose Berenguel, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Bowler of the Year
Maya Avilez, North Carolina A&T

Women’s Soccer Player of the Year
Olivia Ankrom, Shaw

Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year
Shamia Jones, Alabama State

Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year
Brian Kemei, Morehouse

Women’s Basketball Player of the Year
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State

Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
Blake Harper, Howard

Defensive Football Player of the Year
Elijah Williams, Morgan State

Offensive Football Player of the Year
Jada Byers, Virginia Union

Lifetime Achievement Award: Female
Patricia Cage-Bibbs

Lifetime Achievement Award: Male
Rod Broadway

Baseball Coach of the Year
Jonathan Hernandez, Bethune-Cookman

Bowling Coach of the Year
Tiffany Clark, Prairie View A&M

Cross Country Coach of the Year
Clyde Duncan Sr., Texas Southern

Football Coach of the Year
Chennis Berry, South Carolina State

Golf Coach of the Year
Sam Puryear, Howard

Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Larry Vickers, Norfolk State

Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Tony Madlock, Alabama State

Soccer Coach of the Year
Brent Leiba, Howard

Softball Coach of the Year
Vernon Bland, Prairie View A&M

Tennis Coach of the Year
Anuk Christiansz, Alabama State

Track & Field Coach of the Year
Allen Johnson, North Carolina A&T

Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year
David Brooks, Delaware State

Best Social Media Presence
Grambling State

Broadcaster of the Year
Charles Edmond, Alcorn State

Band of the Year
Jackson State

Sports Information Director of the Year
Derek Bryant, Howard

Conference Media Relations Director of the Year
Andrew Roberts, SWAC

Conference Commissioner of the Year
Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA

Athletic Conference of the Year
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Kesmat El Tawil, Alabama State

Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Christopher Flippin, Maryland-Eastern Shore

Athletic Director of the Year
Ashley Robinson, Jackson State

Athletic Program of the Year
Alabama State

State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People’s Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People’s Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People’s Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People’s Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People’s Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People’s Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People’s Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D’Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People’s Rep’c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People’s RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People’s RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People’s Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People’s RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

For centuries, sailors have returned from voyages with tales of eerie, steady-glowing oceans. These episodes would sometimes last for months, atop water capable of glowing in a bucket, deep beneath a ship’s keel. While the earliest accounts were written off as tall tales, the stories are true.

Named “milky seas” by the explorers who first documented it, the phenomenon is a rare event of marine bioluminescence. A new database created in collaboration between Colorado State University’s department of atmospheric science and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere has brought together historical eyewitness accounts for the first time.

“Milky seas describe very large regions of ocean that produce a sustained and widespread glow, often appearing to extend to the horizon on dark, moon-free nights,” CIRA Director and atmospheric science Professor Steven Miller wrote in an email-based interview. 

The journal Advancing Earth and Space Sciences recently published an article recounting the database’s development, which drew from 415 individual observations of milky seas over the past 400 years.

“The oldest one that I was able to find goes back to 1615, and it was one of the first-ever voyages of the British East India Company,” said Justin Hudson, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of atmospheric science and the paper’s first author. “So there’s a good chance it’s actually the earliest account ever in English.”

While sorting through the historical accounts, Hudson had to differentiate the individual sightings to make sure each milky sea event was unique, rather than two separate people noting the same event. In the end, the database’s construction was guided by a defined methodology that outlined specific characteristics of a milky sea event. 

Every event had to feature “a steady, nonflashing gray/white/green-blue/turquoise glow coming from the nighttime ocean surface,” the paper reads. The event also has to be widespread across the ocean’s horizon and occur within nondisturbed water. A shape line of demarcation must also occur between the glowing and nonglowing water, fade in and out of brightness and have a calm ocean surface. Lastly, the sea must return to normal, dark water once the sun or moon rises.

After categorizing the observations by the database’s criteria, Miller and Hudson were able to estimate both the rate of milky sea occurrences and the general geographic region they occur within.

“Milky seas may occur one to two times per year globally, but they are by no means a regular occurrence and there may be many years between events,” Miller wrote. “Based on historical sightings and, more recently, satellite observations, we know that they tend to form more often in the northwest Indian Ocean and Indonesia.” 

While the exact cause of the bioluminescent event is unknown, bacteria is theorized to play a major role in its development. 

“Based off of the fact that it’s a consistent, nonflashing light … and it covers such a large area and sort of other various qualities, we think it’s caused by bacteria,” Hudson said. “For the largest event we know of, basically, if it was only a centimeter thick, it would have one mole of bacteria involved. And if you work out how much it could weigh, you get over a million kilograms of bacteria.” 

The geographical regions where the events occur most frequently experience weather patterns that result in an environment bacteria thrives in. In the Indian Ocean, the Indian Ocean Dipole causes a fluctuation in sea surface temperatures across the western and eastern sides of the sea, which are categorized by positive, negative and neutral phases. 

“It is a sea surface temperature pattern that happens in the Indian Ocean where one side will have cooler sea surface temperatures than normal, and one side will have warmer than normal, and whichever side has warmer temperatures, that’s really good at making (sure) there’s more evaporation, (as) hotter air wants to rise,” Hudson said.

Bacteria thrives in warmer ocean temperatures, which Hudson theorized causes milky seas to occur more frequently in the region the Dipole is most present.

“We think that this phase, the positive phase, in the Indian Ocean Dipole (is) associated with that cool, nutrient-rich water from down below coming up in that region, and it causes milky seas to happen at a much higher rate than you would expect if it didn’t have an impact,” Hudson said. 

Miller’s interest in the fabled phenomenon began in 2005 when he published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discussing the first detection of a milky sea event through satellite imaging technology. 

“It was pretty amazing to think that we could do this from space, and especially for a form of bioluminescence that had been more a part of the maritime folklore than of scientific knowledge,” Miller wrote. “Since then, I’ve been hooked on the topic and was excited to work with a new generation of satellite technology that might be even more capable of detecting and measuring milky seas.” 

Combined with the newfound knowledge from the database, this satellite technology has allowed the team to chart milky sea occurrences from 2017 that were previously undocumented. 

“As part of my work, I do what’s called a Hindcasting model — (a) forecast model, just going backwards,” Hudson said. “I actually was able to predict a previously unknown milky sea event.”

The ultimate goal of the researchers is to predict an event before it occurs with enough time to chart a scientific expedition in the predicted region, with the hopes of observing a milky sea in person, firsthand.

“(We want to) kind of work (with) other scientists internationally, to form a team who would be able to go out there, … get on a boat and sort of combine all their expertise to be able to, like, sample the water, study it and figure out what’s going on (and) how does this fit into everything else?” Hudson said.

Understanding this phenomenon more closely will provide not only more information about the suspected bacteria itself, but also hold broader implications for understanding the ocean’s ecosystem in its entirety. 

“(We’re) learning more about how such a dramatic population explosion of nature’s tiniest, simplest and oldest organisms could conspire to form a signal (one) large and strong enough to be (seen) from outer space, and what that is telling us about how major components of the Earth’s system ‘talk to each other’ and interact may hold very important insights to the future of our planet,” Miller wrote. 

Reach Katie Fisher at science@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.

UC San Diego men’s water polo team has revealed their 2025 schedule, entering their third year in the Big West conference. The season kicks off with the Triton Invitational from August 29-31, featuring top-ranked teams. Home games include notable matchups against Stanford and LMU, along with six tournaments and four away games. The Big West Championship will take place from November 21-23, offering a chance for the Tritons to qualify for the NCAA National Collegiate Championship in December.

By the Numbers

• 2024 record: 17 wins, 12 losses
• Big West conference victories: 3 against UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal State Fullerton

State of Play

• Home games will be played at Canyonview Aquatic Center, drawing large crowds, especially during student return week.
• The Tritons are the defending champions of the Battle of the Kings against LMU.

What’s Next

As anticipation builds for the season opener and home matches, the Tritons aim to improve upon last year’s performance. The team is also positioned to compete strongly in the Big West Championship and potentially earn an NCAA bid.

Bottom Line

The 2025 season presents a significant opportunity for UC San Diego’s men’s water polo team to build on previous successes and deepen their competitive edge in the Big West, ultimately striving for a berth in the NCAA Championship.