“A massive toxic algae bloom has closed shellfish fisheries along the West Coast,” says the Portland Oregonian. Beaches were closed to clamming and oyster harvesting along the Oregon and Washington State coastlines. The Oregonian quoted a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as saying the bloom “appears to be the largest we’ve seen in terms of severity and magnitude.” The spokesman said the bloom will dissipate when temperatures fall.
The bloom “could be the largest toxic bloom ever recorded off the West Coast,” said The Guardian. “The effects stretch from central California to British Columbia, and possibly as far north as Alaska.” Unseasonably high temperatures may be playing a role, according to scientists. An NOAA research vessel will collect water and algae samples and record water temperature from the U.S.-Mexico border to the border with Canada.