BRUNSWICK, Maine — A bloom of phytoplankton in Maine's Casco Bay region is currently being monitored by the Department of Marine Resources.
The agency said Tuesday that its keeping an eye on a collection of Karenia mikimotoi – a photosynthetic species, first described in 1935, consisting of several yellow-brown chloroplasts – from Chebeague Island to Phippsburg.
K. mikimotoi is not a threat to human health, the department said. However, it can have harmful effects on finfish, shellfish and other marine organisms.
Multiple fish "mortality events" have occurred after blooms of this species, the agency said, in Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Korea and Alaska
The department said it's unable to predict if a low oxygen event will occur in relation to the bloom, potentially impacting fish or shellfish.
A K. mikimotoi bloom took place just two years ago in the same region, causing widespread water discoloration, an odor and some soft shelled clam deaths.
The species was observed last year, but did not cause a visible bloom.
Marine Resources routinely monitors other blooms, including those that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning and amnesic shellfish poisoning.
Anyone who observes a mortality event is asked to report to Marine Patrol.
The DMR's website has more info on biotoxin and bacterial shellfish closures.