East End waters are seeing brown
AP-The waters off parts of Long Island’s east end have turned the color of cocoa — possibly the sign of a “brown tide” that could harm marine life.
A test by a Stony Brook University expert shows a full-blown algae bloom around Moriches, Quantuck and Shinnecock bays.
Suffolk County health department tests did not find much of the algae that usually causes brown tide. But they did show the presence of similar organisms that have not yet been identified.
Either way, says Stony Brook researcher Chris Gobler, “the clams are not happy.”
The blooms also can kill off eelgrass, which provides critical habitat for young fish and crustaceans.
