Toxic "Red Tide" Populations in the Western Gulf of Maine: Sources, Transport, and Nutrient Environment

The Alexandrium bloom dynamics in the western Gulf of Maine are now better understood than any other toxic or harmful algal species anywhere in the world. The factors that regulate bloom development in the coastal current were elucidated, and the importance of upwelling and downwelling winds documented.

The linkage between the location of patches of cells and wind events was shown to be a critical determinant of the pattern of toxicity along the coast, especially in southern Maine and Massachusetts. Furthermore, the importance of the Casco Bay region as a "source" or initiation zone was clearly demonstrated in both 1993 and 1994, indicating that the toxicity that develops along several hundred miles of coastline has its origin in a relatively small, restricted zone.