May 12, 2015 — The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration says New England’s spring and summer red tide will be similar to the past three years.
Red tide is an algal bloom that produces a toxin that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. New England has experienced economic hardships due to red tide in some years. A large red tide event in 2005 caused $23 million in lost shellfish sales in Maine and Massachusetts. Maine also experienced a particularly bad year in 2008. Some clam flats were closed in the state due to red tide last year.