The Red Tide Is Coming-But When?

"Red tide" is an algal bloom (Alexandrium) that appears in Maine's coastal waters at unpredictable intervals. It accumulates as a toxin in shellfish and can make people who eat affected shellfish seriously ill. When there is a red tide infestation, coastal shellfishing must stop until the red tide clears. Drs. Neal Pettigrew, Andrew Thomas, and David Townsend at the University of Maine are trying to understand how and where the blooms originate and how they are transported. With support from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, they are looking farther out to sea than before. Most research to date has centered on the coastal areas of Maine where the impact of red tide blooms is felt. But the researchers have found that there are red tide blooms offshore in the Gulf of Maine as well. In fact, it is likely that these blooms occur almost every year. Usually, we do not notice them because they seldom reach coastal areas. Normal ocean currents and wind patterns seem to keep blooms away from coastal areas most of the time. Now the researchers are tracking those currents and patterns to determine when conditions are right for a bloom to come onshore and affect shellfish. If they are successful, the appearance of the red tide will no longer be an unpredictable, mystifying phenomenon. Instead, Maine health officials and fisherman will have advance warning when it is on its way.