For current status of the 2008 New England Red Tide click here

The Issue

Many algal species form blooms commonly referred to as "red tides," each with distinct impacts. The New England Harmful Algal Bloom event is caused by the toxic alga Alexandrium fundyense. Blooms of this microscopic alga occur periodically in the Gulf of Maine.

Red tides, also known as harmful algal blooms or HABs, can produce potent neurotoxins that accumulate in filter-feeding shellfish and other parts of the marine food web. Shellfish contaminated with the toxin from Alexandrium, if eaten in large enough quantity, can cause illness or death from paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP.  States have well-established, rigorous shellfish monitoring programs to protect human health, so consumers are assured that commercially available shellfish are safe for consumption.

On April 24, 2008 scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) forecasted the potential for a larger than normal Alexandrium bloom in the Gulf of Maine.  Depending on weather and ocean conditions, this year’s bloom could be comparable to the historic bloom of 2005 that resulted in an estimated direct impact of $18 million to the commercial shellfishing industry in Massachusetts. 

New England Red Tide Research and Response

To learn more about New England HAB research and response efforts visit:

NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research Webpage on Prediction, Response, and Status of Alexandrium in New England in 2008

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Northeast PSP Page: 2008 Observations