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Alexandrium “Red Tide” in New England: 2008 Harmful Algal Bloom Update
Weekly Updates Archive
September 11, 2008
On September 4, the Governor of Massachusetts requested that NOAA NMFS declare a commercial fishery failure, which would make industry eligible for federal disaster assistance under the US Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (State press release).
On September 2, Maine reduced the area closed to harvesting of mahogany clams.
August 20, 2008
On August 15, the area from Small Point to Mosquito Head in western Maine and the area of Cobscook Bay and some surrounding areas in eastern Maine were opened for harvesting of shellfish. In eastern Maine, the section of the coast from Western Head (Cutler) to West Quoddy Head (Lubec) remains closed. For the mahogany clam beds (ocean quahogs), a small exception area was opened for harvesting from one half hour before sunrise, to one half hour after sunset.
On August 20, Massachusetts opened some areas from Gloucester to Cohasset to the harvesting of soft-shell clams, razor clams, and blue mussels. Although biotoxin values are below regulatory limits, much of the area is still closed due to bacterial contamination.
August 13, 2008
ECOHAB GOMTOX researchers aboard the R/V Endeavor surveyed the waters of eastern Gulf of Maine August 7-13, 2008. Counts revealed generally low concentrations of Alexandrium, the New England red tide organism. The peak concentration of 882 cells per liter was detected just offshore of the Digby Peninsula. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
August 7, 2008
In late July, high levels of PSP toxins in the hepatopancreas (more commonly called ‘tomalley’) of some lobsters prompted the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue advisory warnings against the consumption of lobster tomalley. For more information, see the press releases from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the FDA.
A recent CSCOR Event Response award is supporting investigations by managers in Maine and New Hampshire into the geographic extent and temporal variability of PSP toxins in lobster tomalley and other lobster tissues. For more on this response, click here.
In eastern Maine, clams were removed from harvesting closures from the Canadian Border to Isle au Haut. In addition, the size of the closure area for mussels, carnivorous snails, and European oysters was reduced in eastern Maine. In western Maine, surf/hen clams were removed from harvesting closures from McKenney Point to the New Hampshire Border.
July 30, 2008
High levels of PSP toxins in the hepatopancreas (more commonly called ‘tomalley’) of some lobsters prompted the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue advisory warnings against the consumption of lobster tomalley. For more information, see the press releases from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the FDA.
A recent CSCOR Event Response award is supporting investigations by managers in Maine and New Hampshire into the geographic extent and temporal variability of PSP toxins in lobster tomalley and other lobster tissues. For more on this response, click here.
On July 28, Massachusetts issued a partial opening for razor clam harvesting from the New Hampshire border to Gloucester.
July 24, 2008
High levels of PSP toxins in tomalley of some lobsters prompted the states of New Hampshire and Maine to issue an advisory warning against the consumption of lobster tomalley. For more information, see the press releases on Maine and New Hampshire State websites.
In Massachusetts, areas of Chatham Harbor North and Salt Pond were opened to the harvesting of all bivalve shellfish.
July 17, 2008
In eastern Maine, clams were added to the closure area from Isle au Haut to Petit Manan Point with a small exception area in Back Cove and Seal Cove on Swans Island for soft-shell clams. A small exception area was also opened for soft-shell clams in Indian River in Addison and Jonesport. All areas of the state of Maine and surrounding Federal waters are completely closed to Mahogany clam harvest.
In Massachusetts, areas of Boston Harbor and Merrimack River were reopened to soft-shell clam harvest. The closure was also lifted for blue mussels and soft shell clams from the NH border to the Gloucester/Manchester-by-the-Sea line. In addition, a portion of Pleasant Bay was opened to the harvesting of all bivalve shellfish.
July 8, 2008
ECOHAB GOMTOX researchers aboard the R/V Endeavor surveyed the waters of Georges Bank last week. Alexandrium cell counts had dramatically decreased since the previous survey in June. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
On July 3, Massachusetts issued a partial opening for blue mussels and soft shell clams in some areas of Plum Island Sound, Ipswich River, and Annisquam River.
On July 2, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service closed a block of Federal waters south of Cape Cod and east of Nantucket to the taking of all bivalve mollusks due to the risk of PSP contamination. In effect, this closure extends the boundary of the "Northern Temporary PSP closure area." The current prohibitions on landing whole or roe on scallops in what is called the "Southern Temporary PSP closure area" remain in effect. For more on the Federal closure visit NOAA Fisheries Service Red Tide Advisories Webpage.
Over the weekend, three local residents were hospitalized in Maine after harvesting and consuming mussels from Cutler Harbor, an area that had been closed to harvesting for three weeks. In Canada, eight more people became ill, with two hospitalized, after eating clams taken from an area of the Bay of Fundy shoreline, which was also under a shellfish harvesting ban. These illnesses highlight the importance of abiding by closures issued by your appropriate regulatory authorities.
July 3, 2008
The past week in western Maine, soft shell clams were removed from the closure area, and the closure was lifted on mussels for most of Casco Bay. In eastern Maine, closure areas were expanded for some species.
In Massachusetts, a closure for selected species was issued for areas of Monomoy, Nantucket, and Chatham. A partial opening was issued for soft shelled clams in Essex Bay and for blue mussels in the Nauset estuarine system and in Pleasant Bay.
New York rescinded the temporary closure in Northwest Suffolk County, Long Island.
On July 2, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service closed a block of Federal waters south of Cape Cod and east of Nantucket to the taking of all bivalve mollusks due to the risk of PSP contamination. In effect, this closure extends the boundary of the "Northern Temporary PSP closure area." The current prohibitions on landing whole or roe on scallops in what is called the "Southern Temporary PSP closure area" remain in effect. For more on the Federal closure visit NOAA Fisheries Service Red Tide Advisories Webpage.
June 26, 2008
ECOHAB GOMTOX researchers aboard the R/V Tioga surveyed the waters of Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays last week. The Alexandrium cell counts indicated that the bloom was ongoing with the highest concentrations observed in Cape Cod Bay. The maximum concentration was observed near the east entrance of the Cape Cod Canal. Another patch of elevated cell numbers was observed off of Boston/Scituate. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page
In eastern Maine, the area closed to clam harvesting was expanded on June 24 and two new closures—one for mussels, carnivorous snails, and European oysters in a new area and one for part of the mahagony clam beds—were issued on June 25. In western Maine, an area previously closed to clam harvesting was reopened. In Nova Scotia, shellfish harvesting was closed from Sambro to Halifax.
June 23, 2008
On June 20, Maine reduced the area closed to clam harvesting but closures for other species remained the same. Massachusetts restricted vessels registered in the Commonwealth from harvesting some shellfish species from Federal waters adjacent to Massachusetts.
June 20, 2008
Maine has expanded closures in eastern Maine and included more species. Due to a bloom in the Bay of Fundy, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has closed many areas to shellfish harvesting. Massachusets has also expanded its closure in Cape Cod Bay. New York decreased the areas closed to harvesting, but it is thought that this bloom is an isolated event not linked to the Gulf of Maine.
June 12, 2008
Massachusetts has expanded shellfish closures to include Boston Harbor, Greater Boston Harbor and Lynn Harbor, and the Saugus Pines River.
June 5, 2008
A series of research cruises from May 27-June 4, supported by ECOHAB GOMTOX, CSCOR Event Response, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and Batelle, found Alexandrium abundance to be high in many areas, especially outside of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts Bay, in western coastal Gulf of Maine, and on the southwest of Georges Bank. Observed cell distributions closely matched modeled predictions in coastal waters and alerted state shellfish managers to the potential for southward transport of the bloom. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
May 30, 2008
Nearshore sampling was conducted from the mouth of Nantucket Sound to north of Casco Bay by ECOHAB GOMTOX from May 27-29. Significant numbers of Alexandrium were found from north of Nantucket and along the outside of Cape Cod. Further north, cell counts were highest along the transect off of Cape Ann and were still significant along the Saco Bay transect. Cell counts were generally lower along the Casco Bay transect and northward. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
A cruise to map Alexandrium distributions along the outside of Cape Cod and assess the potential for transport to the south is scheduled for May 30, 2008, funded by CSCOR Event Response.
Shellfish closures continue in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. On May 28, the area of shellfish bed closures in Long Island Sound tributaries was expanded.
May 23, 2008
Sampling last week by WHOI aboard the R/V Tioga found Alexandrium cells in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays with highest concentrations southeast of Cape Ann and near Scituate, MA. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
An ECOHAB GOMTOX research cruise in the Gulf of Maine is scheduled to depart May 27. Although GOMTOX is focused on Alexandrium blooms on Georges Bank, limited sampling will be conducted in coastal areas of the Gulf of Maine along transects selected based on model results and the distribution of shellfish toxicity.
In western Maine, shellfish closures were expanded to more areas on May 19 and again on May 20. Some areas of eastern Maine were also closed last week. New Hampshire Atlantic waters and some estuarine waters are closed for harvesting. Shellfish beds also closed late last week along the Massachusetts North Shore and closures were expanded to new areas on May 21 and May 22.
For up to date information on shellfish closures, visit websites for the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maineand New York.
May 19, 2008
Recent sampling by WHOI aboard the R/V Tioga found Alexandrium cells in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays with highest concentrations southeast of Cape Ann and near Scituate, MA. For maps of Alexandrium abundance and more on cruise observations, visit WHOI’s 2008 cruise observation page.
Some shellfish beds have been closed to harvesting along the Maine and New Hampshire coast. Shellfish beds also closed late last week along the Massachusetts North Shore. Some areas are closed in the Nauset system in Massachusetts and in some bays of Long Island Sound due to Alexandrium produced saxitoxin, but these are thought to be isolated events that are not linked to the bloom in the Gulf of Maine.
May 12, 2008
A recent survey of Alexandrium abundance in western Gulf of Maine waters found abundance to be higher than normal along transects from Casco and Saco Bays (Maine) for this stage of the bloom season, supporting the hypothesis that the 2008 bloom may be anomalously large. For more on cruise observations, visit WHOI.
Some shellfish beds have been closed to harvesting along the Maine and New Hampshire coast. Shellfish beds are also closed in the Nauset system in Massachusetts and in some bays of Long Island Sound due to Alexandrium produced saxitoxin, but these are thought to be isolated events that are not linked to the bloom in the Gulf of Maine.