Toxic Algae Blooms Hit Record Levels In US - Red Tides, Beach Closures, Fish Kills, More - AFP

[hatrack]

Record levels of algae have plagued U.S. coastal areas this year, sickening swimmers and hampering shellfish harvests, oceanographers say.

Wayne Litaker, a research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told Tuesday's USA Today that toxic algae blooms have spread for hundreds of miles along some sections of coast, a phenomenon known as "red tides," which cause harm to fish and can trigger paralysis in human swimmers.

Litaker told the newspaper the blooms, which scientists say have spread out over much larger areas in recent years, have caused an estimated $100 million per year in damages to the seafood and tourism industries.

State officials reportedly blame widespread algae with forcing the closure of Maine's harvest of clams, oysters and mussels, and the killing of more than 4 million fish off the coast of Texas.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/US_coasts_plagued_by_record_algae_levels_999.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. See Also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=222278&mesg_id=222278

[arachadillo]

2. Algal Blooms

I was just writing about http://greennature.com/article74.html">Harmful Algal Blooms also.

It's not just red tide, but other types of blooms causing problems. I seem to recall it was an otherwise brown algae that grew disproportionately large along the Oregon and Washington coast that caused the death of some 10,000 seabirds this past fall.

In addition to the writing, I'm also building up my http://greennature.com/gallery/pictures-of-shorebirds/">Shorebirds collection because it's always good to be in the natural world when thinking of environmental issues.

[yowzayowzayowza]

3. Welcome aboard. Thx for the links. n/t

[progressoid]

4. Welcome to DU arachadillo!

:hug:

[arachadillo]

5. Thanks

Hi prog...and yow....thanks for the welcome.