Community Corner

'Rust Tide' Returns to Area Waterways

The toxic tide has been detected in the Peconic and Shinnecock bays.

A toxic algae, known as a Rust Tide, which causes harm to shellfish, has returned to the area and it's not expected to go away anytime soon.

According to the Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the tide has been detected in the Shinnecock, Flanders and Peconic Bays, including tributaries such as Meetinghouse Creek.

The school's monitoring system, Professor Christopher Gobler recorded the rust tide algae at densities exceeding 10,000 cells per milliliter in the Peconic Bay and 1,000 cells per milliliter in the Shinnecock Bay.

The rust tide, Gobler said is notorious on the East End of Long Island, first appearing in 2004 and causing bay scallop populations to dwindle last fall.

Gobler said the rust tide, which can kill fish within hours and shellfish within days, is caused by nitrogen loading and will most likely stick around until at least the fall.

"It typically extends into the fall or until water temperatures drop below 60 degrees,” said Gobler. "As nitrogen loading has increased into our bays, these events have intensified."


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