Don't eat the shellfish: Red tide closes harvesting in the Nauset ... - Cape Cod Times

The state Division of Marine Fisheries has closed the Nauset marsh system to shellfish harvesting due to a bloom of red tide algae. The March 8 closure notice affects all recreational and commercial shellfishing activity in the Nauset estuary, which includes parts of Eastham and Orleans.

According to the closure notice, "digging, harvesting or collecting and/or attempting to dig, harvest or collect shellfish and the possession of shellfish, including carnivorous snails, from the (area) is prohibited."

The main message? Don't eat shellfish from the area. They dine on the red tide algae and store up unpleasant neurotoxins.

Slurping down red tide shellfish could cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), with symptoms including "tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue, and extremities, drowsiness, giddiness, and/or unsteadiness, vomiting and diarrhea. In extreme cases, respiratory arrest and death can result," according to the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

"You don't want to mess around with it," said Nathan Sears, Orleans natural resources manager.

The Division of Marine Fisheries tests for the toxin at 13 locations in the state from March through October. Sears said the process involves putting mussels in the water, which are an indicator species for red tide, then analyzing the mussels in a lab setting. He said the closure would last at least a month, but "could go until June."

According to the Division of Marine Fisheries, red tide "is caused by a 'population explosion' of toxic, naturally occurring microscopic plankton .... 'blooms' of the poison-producing plankton are coastal phenomena caused by environmental conditions that promote explosive growth." Those environmental conditions include warm surface temperatures, low salinity and high nutrient content in the water.

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In recent years, red tide closures have occurred with regularity in all or parts of the Nauset estuary. According to Division of Marine Fisheries records, red tide closures in the Nauset system have occurred on almost a yearly basis, dating back to 2011.

A red tide closure was issued for Salt Pond in Eastham in December 2022 and was lifted at the beginning of January. In April 2022, the entire Nauset estuary was closed and the order was lifted in June.

There is a slight silver lining to this unfortunate development: although shellfish eat the red tide algae, it does not harm them (although consuming the shellfish can be dangerous to humans). According to the Division of Marine Fisheries, "when the bloom diminishes, (the shellfish) will eventually rid themselves of the toxin and will once again be safe to eat."

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