Fishermen, Officials Monitoring Large Red Tide Bloom

by Tom Walsh
(ellsworthmaine.com)

ELLSWORTH — Downeast fishermen who harvest mussels and clams are keeping an eye on a massive bloom of red tide that has surged into parts of Washington County from the Bay of Fundy.

On Tuesday, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) pulled the plug on mussel harvesting in coastal areas between the point of Maine in Machiasport and the Canadian border.

Red tide blooms produce toxins that can sicken humans who eat infected shellfish. The blooms are a seasonal phenomenon that is first detected in mussels and often spreads to clams.

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