'Red Tide' Likely in New England This Season, Experts Warn
04/13/12
FRIDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- A moderate "red tide" is
expected in New England this spring and summer that could force the
closing of shellfish beds, according to experts.
A red tide is a type of harmful algae bloom. The algae in the
water don't pose a direct threat to people, but toxins produced by
the algae can accumulate in mussels and clams and cause paralytic
shellfish poisoning in people who eat them.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded
scientists used a new computer model to forecast the 2012 outlook
for the Gulf of Maine and concluded that a moderate red tide could
cause the closure of shellfish beds along 126 to 250 miles of
coastline.
The prediction is based on the quantity of the algae
Alexandrium fundyense in its dormant (cyst) state detected in
gulf sediments last fall. This information was combined with
computer simulations of weather and ocean conditions -- winds,
sunlight, rainfall, tides and currents -- that influence the size
of the bloom.
The scientists noted that many factors -- such as water
characteristics and wind direction -- could affect their
forecast.
"The surveys of cyst abundance gives us an indication of the potential extent of the bloom, but whether or not that potential is realized depends on the growing conditions," Dennis McGillicuddy, senior scientist in applied ocean physics and engineering at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said in an institution news release.
"In 2010, we forecast a large bloom but we got it wrong. That spring, an unusual mass of warm, fresh water that was low in nutrients changed the growing conditions," he noted.
"Each year, we add another set of environmental conditions to our archive of model runs. In the future, a winter that is warmer and drier than normal can be represented by 2012, but right now, we have no similar year in that archive," Don Anderson, senior scientist in biology at Woods Hole, said in the news release.
More information
The Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services has
more about
red tide.
Copyright © 2012
HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.