Massive toxic algae bloom stretches from California to Alaska, alarming fishing industry

Health and industrial concerns are raised over the growing population of toxic algae that is now stretched from California's coast to Alaska. Millions of dollars may be loss over time, with closed fisheries, if the cause is not clearly determined. Oceanographers are studying whether this phenomena is related to global warming, as the water temperatures have increased.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - The massive bloom of toxic algae is more than scientists expected weeks before, bringing them to acknowledge this "red tide" as longer and more persistent than those from the past. "It's just lurking there. It's the longest lasting, highest toxicity and densest bloom that we've ever seen," said research oceanographer Vera Trainer, from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Washington state, during a statement with Reuters.

Fisheries, including shellfish industries, have been heavily affected after discovering the level of toxicity in crab meat significantly increased, prematurely ending the coastal crab season.

The massive toxic algal bloom is being linked with global warming, as researchers suspect the increase in water temperature caused the persistence, unlike in former cycles. Their speculation is due to "the blob," which is a large portion of water in the northeastern area of the Pacific Ocean with a three centigrade higher than normal temperature. However, evidence is still to be gathered in order to establish the definite relationship.

"The question on everyone's mind is whether this is related to global climate change. The simple answer is that it could be, but at this point it's hard to separate the variations in these cycles. Maybe the cycles are more extreme in the changing climate," said Prof. Donald Boecsh of Marine Science from the University of Maryland.

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