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Publication: The East Hampton Press

Toxic 'red tide' returns to East End bays

By Michael Wright

Sep 8, 09 5:22 PM

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Toxic
red tide appears in bays
Sep 10, 08
2:44 PM

East End marine scientists say that blooms of a toxic red algae
have reappeared in bays across the East End in late summer and may
pose a threat to larval fish and shellfish populations.

Dr. Chris Gobler, a marine science professor at Stony Brook
University, has been monitoring the so-called “red tide” blooms
since they first appeared in East End bays in 2004. The algae blooms
were more widespread and more intense last year than ever before,
and this year’s blooms appear to be nearly as bad, he said.

“Like, 10 days ago, the water in the Peconics and Shinnecock was
perfectly clear, and then, all of a sudden, this bloom just showed
up out of nowhere,” Dr. Gobler said. “All through the Peconics,
Orient, Sag Harbor, Shinnecock east of the canal. It’s very thick,
and you can see the red water. If you drive along Montauk Highway
and look out into the bay, the water is perfectly red.”

Dr. Gobler said that studies of the red tide algae have shown
that, unlike some other red algae species, the blooms are not toxic
to humans—but they are very toxic to fish and shellfish,
particularly very young larvae. Laboratory studies showed that the
algae can kill small fish in as little as an hour.

Last year, baymen around the East End reported large numbers of
dead fish in pound nets where fish had been corralled when a red
tide bloom drifted through.

“We’ve definitely seen an impact from algae blooms,” said Ian
Burliuk, president of the Southampton Town Bayman’s Association. “I
haven’t seen any signs of an abundance of dead stuff yet this year,
but we’ll see it down the road.”

Dr. Gobler said that studies have shown the algae is particularly
deadly to larval shellfish and may have an impact on the spawning
recruitment of scallop populations still struggling to recover from
the devastation of brown tide algae blooms in the 1980s and 1990s.
“We’ve found that even at less than bloom concentrations, shellfish
larvae don’t survive,” he said.

Dr. Gobler noted that scientists are now discovering that some
scallops may spawn twice in a summer, once in early June and again
in late August or early September. He said the appearance of the red
tide each September could potentially be devastating to the product
of the second spawn.

Making it particularly threatening to shellfish, the red tide
algae is a dinoflagellate, meaning it has a tail and is able to
swim. This particular species stays on the surface during the day
but migrates to the bottom at night, potentially exposing larval
shellfish to its toxic effects for 10-to-12-hour stretches.

No specific evidence has yet been found that the algae is killing
larval shellfish, Dr. Gobler noted, since identifying die-offs on a
microscopic level in the wild is nearly impossible. He acknowledged
that despite widespread red tide outbreaks last year, bay scallop
populations look to be some of the highest in several years in the
Peconic Estuary this year.

Dr. Gobler said that the red tide, which has been found
throughout the Eastern Seaboard in recent years, can be expected to
last through the end of this month and possibly well into October in
local waters.

Scientists say that in addition to its toxic effects on fish
species, the red tide may carry a more lasting threat to shellfish
because it also appears to kill off other species of algae it comes
in contact with. Algae make up the bulk of the diet of shellfish and
plankton, another critical link in the marine food chain.

“In some cases, it can kill other algae within a matter of
minutes,” Dr. Gobler said. “It’s very uncommon for any of the bloom
species we see around here.”

Reader Comments

Sort
Comments By
date most liked member
name

Sep 9, 09 2:22 PM

What species of algae is this? The doctor's
comments seem to indicate that it is something other than
Alexandrium.   Like
report
as inappropriate

Split Rock (Sag Harbor)
Total comments by
Split Rock: 14

Sep 10, 09 10:33 PM

It is.....its part of the same group of
phytoplankton (dinoflagellates), which are responsible for the
majority of red tide events....the name of the organism is
Cochlodinium polykrikoides. We have shown in the lab that it kills a
variety of shellfish and finfish, some in under 24 hours....
Like
report
as inappropriate

Florian (mastic)
Total comments by
Florian: 1

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