Red tide forces early (earliest on record) clam flat closures (global warming, Maine)

[jpak]

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100327-NEWS-3270326

YORK, Maine — Red tide warnings forced the Maine Department of Marine Resources to issue its first clam flat closures of the season on Wednesday, a month earlier than usual.

"This is extremely early; we typically don't do closures until the end of April," said Darcie Couture, director of the Biotoxin Monitoring Program for the state.

Couture said the unusually warm weather is affecting red tide algae blooms and other plants, which are budding early this year. Also, strong northeast winds are pushing the red tide into shellfish beds, she said.

"I don't think it will be too much longer that we'll have additional closures for mussels," said Couture. "It's lining up to be a very bad year."

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