Huge, persistent algae bloom clogs the Gulf of Maine

Jul 23, 2023

by David Brooks | Aug 28, 2023 | Blog, Newsletter | 0 comments

New Hampshire Bulletin has an article about a “big, brown and baffling” bloom in the Gulf of Maine. Whole article is here.

An unusually large bloom of brown algae in the Gulf of Maine has caught the attention of scientists from across New England. So much so, an informal monitoring effort of more than two dozen partners has since formed to keep tabs on it.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire and other regional players say it’s the first time they’ve seen such high concentrations of the dinoflagellate phytoplankton Tripos muelleri, or microalgae, this time of year spanning from Massachusetts to Maine.

Typically, phytoplankton decline in the summer months, but not in this instance. According to satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this particular bloom has steadily persisted from Penobscot Bay to Martha’s Vineyard since April.

The fact that it’s happening as ocean temperatures keep rising, rising, rising – that might be a coincidence. Or not.

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