August 2, 2008 Red tide levels drop on Maine coast

BANGOR, Maine (AP) - A decline in red tide levels has allowed the entire Maine coast to be open to clam harvesting.

While the gathering of mussels, oysters and some other shellfish is still restricted in some areas, the Department of Marine Resources hopes to begin lifting those prohibitions within the next week or two.

Darcie Couture, director of the department's biotoxin monitoring program, says "everything is moving in the right direction."

Red tide is caused by blooms of naturally occurring algae which produce a toxin that is absorbed by shellfish as they feed. Eating clams, mussels and other shellfish with high levels of toxins can cause sickness or death in humans.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)