#newmeadowsriver — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #newmeadowsriver, aggregated by home.social.
-
#CascoBay #AlgaeBloom weakens in some areas, but shellfish impacts to continue
Harpswell's harbormaster said as the algae dies, it uses up oxygen marine life need to survive.
by Alex Haskell (NCM)
September 21, 2026HARPSWELL, Maine — "An algae bloom believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of shellfish in Casco Bay is weakening in some areas, but local officials said its effects could continue for weeks, and recovery could take years.
"The bloom has affected waters off #HarpswellME and #BrunswickME in recent weeks. Harpswell Harbormaster Darcie Couture said monitoring shows some improvement in places that were hit early.
" 'The areas that were first impacted, we’re watching the cell counts go down,' Couture said.
"However, declining algae levels can create another problem for marine life. As the algae dies, it uses up dissolved oxygen in the water.
" 'Dissolved oxygen is what’s out there in the water that everything else needs to survive—all the clams, the fish, everything that lives there,' Couture said. 'So we’re potentially looking at a second wave of impacts.'
"It could take days or weeks for oxygen levels to return to normal, according to Couture. In the meantime, additional marine life could die as oxygen levels remain low.
"Officials are also watching new blooms developing elsewhere in the region, including the #NewMeadowsRiver area at the northern end of Casco Bay.
" 'We’re trying to figure how to manage that and continue to track the bloom,' Couture said.
"The bloom has also prompted harvesting restrictions. Hundreds of acres of #mudflats under stress from the bloom are now closed to shellfish harvesting in Brunswick and Harpswell.
" 'The closure was put in place because of a request from the two towns over concerns that continued harvesting will cause additional stress and increased mortality,' Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said in a statement.
"While those closures directly affect where shellfish harvesters can work, officials are still determining what the bloom could mean for local aquaculture operations.
" 'We’ve had some reports of sickly-looking oysters,' Couture told NEWS CENTER Maine.
"The full extent of the damage may not become clear for some time. Couture said the algae bloom could linger until late fall, and officials will need to conduct a survey after it disappears to determine its overall effect on the area's shellfish.
"She said the affected mudflats could take years to fully recover.
"Intense weather this fall could also complicate the situation by pushing additional blooms toward Maine waters, Couture added."
#ClimateDiaryMaine #ClimateChange #ToxicAlgae #Maine #AlgalBloom #OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #KareniaMikimotoi
-
#CascoBay #AlgaeBloom weakens in some areas, but shellfish impacts to continue
Harpswell's harbormaster said as the algae dies, it uses up oxygen marine life need to survive.
by Alex Haskell (NCM)
September 21, 2026HARPSWELL, Maine — "An algae bloom believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of shellfish in Casco Bay is weakening in some areas, but local officials said its effects could continue for weeks, and recovery could take years.
"The bloom has affected waters off #HarpswellME and #BrunswickME in recent weeks. Harpswell Harbormaster Darcie Couture said monitoring shows some improvement in places that were hit early.
" 'The areas that were first impacted, we’re watching the cell counts go down,' Couture said.
"However, declining algae levels can create another problem for marine life. As the algae dies, it uses up dissolved oxygen in the water.
" 'Dissolved oxygen is what’s out there in the water that everything else needs to survive—all the clams, the fish, everything that lives there,' Couture said. 'So we’re potentially looking at a second wave of impacts.'
"It could take days or weeks for oxygen levels to return to normal, according to Couture. In the meantime, additional marine life could die as oxygen levels remain low.
"Officials are also watching new blooms developing elsewhere in the region, including the #NewMeadowsRiver area at the northern end of Casco Bay.
" 'We’re trying to figure how to manage that and continue to track the bloom,' Couture said.
"The bloom has also prompted harvesting restrictions. Hundreds of acres of #mudflats under stress from the bloom are now closed to shellfish harvesting in Brunswick and Harpswell.
" 'The closure was put in place because of a request from the two towns over concerns that continued harvesting will cause additional stress and increased mortality,' Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said in a statement.
"While those closures directly affect where shellfish harvesters can work, officials are still determining what the bloom could mean for local aquaculture operations.
" 'We’ve had some reports of sickly-looking oysters,' Couture told NEWS CENTER Maine.
"The full extent of the damage may not become clear for some time. Couture said the algae bloom could linger until late fall, and officials will need to conduct a survey after it disappears to determine its overall effect on the area's shellfish.
"She said the affected mudflats could take years to fully recover.
"Intense weather this fall could also complicate the situation by pushing additional blooms toward Maine waters, Couture added."
#ClimateDiaryMaine #ClimateChange #ToxicAlgae #Maine #AlgalBloom #OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #KareniaMikimotoi
-
#CascoBay #AlgaeBloom weakens in some areas, but shellfish impacts to continue
Harpswell's harbormaster said as the algae dies, it uses up oxygen marine life need to survive.
by Alex Haskell (NCM)
September 21, 2026HARPSWELL, Maine — "An algae bloom believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of shellfish in Casco Bay is weakening in some areas, but local officials said its effects could continue for weeks, and recovery could take years.
"The bloom has affected waters off #HarpswellME and #BrunswickME in recent weeks. Harpswell Harbormaster Darcie Couture said monitoring shows some improvement in places that were hit early.
" 'The areas that were first impacted, we’re watching the cell counts go down,' Couture said.
"However, declining algae levels can create another problem for marine life. As the algae dies, it uses up dissolved oxygen in the water.
" 'Dissolved oxygen is what’s out there in the water that everything else needs to survive—all the clams, the fish, everything that lives there,' Couture said. 'So we’re potentially looking at a second wave of impacts.'
"It could take days or weeks for oxygen levels to return to normal, according to Couture. In the meantime, additional marine life could die as oxygen levels remain low.
"Officials are also watching new blooms developing elsewhere in the region, including the #NewMeadowsRiver area at the northern end of Casco Bay.
" 'We’re trying to figure how to manage that and continue to track the bloom,' Couture said.
"The bloom has also prompted harvesting restrictions. Hundreds of acres of #mudflats under stress from the bloom are now closed to shellfish harvesting in Brunswick and Harpswell.
" 'The closure was put in place because of a request from the two towns over concerns that continued harvesting will cause additional stress and increased mortality,' Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said in a statement.
"While those closures directly affect where shellfish harvesters can work, officials are still determining what the bloom could mean for local aquaculture operations.
" 'We’ve had some reports of sickly-looking oysters,' Couture told NEWS CENTER Maine.
"The full extent of the damage may not become clear for some time. Couture said the algae bloom could linger until late fall, and officials will need to conduct a survey after it disappears to determine its overall effect on the area's shellfish.
"She said the affected mudflats could take years to fully recover.
"Intense weather this fall could also complicate the situation by pushing additional blooms toward Maine waters, Couture added."
#ClimateDiaryMaine #ClimateChange #ToxicAlgae #Maine #AlgalBloom #OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #KareniaMikimotoi
-
#CascoBay #AlgaeBloom weakens in some areas, but shellfish impacts to continue
Harpswell's harbormaster said as the algae dies, it uses up oxygen marine life need to survive.
by Alex Haskell (NCM)
September 21, 2026HARPSWELL, Maine — "An algae bloom believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of shellfish in Casco Bay is weakening in some areas, but local officials said its effects could continue for weeks, and recovery could take years.
"The bloom has affected waters off #HarpswellME and #BrunswickME in recent weeks. Harpswell Harbormaster Darcie Couture said monitoring shows some improvement in places that were hit early.
" 'The areas that were first impacted, we’re watching the cell counts go down,' Couture said.
"However, declining algae levels can create another problem for marine life. As the algae dies, it uses up dissolved oxygen in the water.
" 'Dissolved oxygen is what’s out there in the water that everything else needs to survive—all the clams, the fish, everything that lives there,' Couture said. 'So we’re potentially looking at a second wave of impacts.'
"It could take days or weeks for oxygen levels to return to normal, according to Couture. In the meantime, additional marine life could die as oxygen levels remain low.
"Officials are also watching new blooms developing elsewhere in the region, including the #NewMeadowsRiver area at the northern end of Casco Bay.
" 'We’re trying to figure how to manage that and continue to track the bloom,' Couture said.
"The bloom has also prompted harvesting restrictions. Hundreds of acres of #mudflats under stress from the bloom are now closed to shellfish harvesting in Brunswick and Harpswell.
" 'The closure was put in place because of a request from the two towns over concerns that continued harvesting will cause additional stress and increased mortality,' Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said in a statement.
"While those closures directly affect where shellfish harvesters can work, officials are still determining what the bloom could mean for local aquaculture operations.
" 'We’ve had some reports of sickly-looking oysters,' Couture told NEWS CENTER Maine.
"The full extent of the damage may not become clear for some time. Couture said the algae bloom could linger until late fall, and officials will need to conduct a survey after it disappears to determine its overall effect on the area's shellfish.
"She said the affected mudflats could take years to fully recover.
"Intense weather this fall could also complicate the situation by pushing additional blooms toward Maine waters, Couture added."
#ClimateDiaryMaine #ClimateChange #ToxicAlgae #Maine #AlgalBloom #OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #KareniaMikimotoi
-
#CascoBay #AlgaeBloom weakens in some areas, but shellfish impacts to continue
Harpswell's harbormaster said as the algae dies, it uses up oxygen marine life need to survive.
by Alex Haskell (NCM)
September 21, 2026HARPSWELL, Maine — "An algae bloom believed to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of shellfish in Casco Bay is weakening in some areas, but local officials said its effects could continue for weeks, and recovery could take years.
"The bloom has affected waters off #HarpswellME and #BrunswickME in recent weeks. Harpswell Harbormaster Darcie Couture said monitoring shows some improvement in places that were hit early.
" 'The areas that were first impacted, we’re watching the cell counts go down,' Couture said.
"However, declining algae levels can create another problem for marine life. As the algae dies, it uses up dissolved oxygen in the water.
" 'Dissolved oxygen is what’s out there in the water that everything else needs to survive—all the clams, the fish, everything that lives there,' Couture said. 'So we’re potentially looking at a second wave of impacts.'
"It could take days or weeks for oxygen levels to return to normal, according to Couture. In the meantime, additional marine life could die as oxygen levels remain low.
"Officials are also watching new blooms developing elsewhere in the region, including the #NewMeadowsRiver area at the northern end of Casco Bay.
" 'We’re trying to figure how to manage that and continue to track the bloom,' Couture said.
"The bloom has also prompted harvesting restrictions. Hundreds of acres of #mudflats under stress from the bloom are now closed to shellfish harvesting in Brunswick and Harpswell.
" 'The closure was put in place because of a request from the two towns over concerns that continued harvesting will cause additional stress and increased mortality,' Maine Department of Marine Resources Communications Director Jeff Nichols said in a statement.
"While those closures directly affect where shellfish harvesters can work, officials are still determining what the bloom could mean for local aquaculture operations.
" 'We’ve had some reports of sickly-looking oysters,' Couture told NEWS CENTER Maine.
"The full extent of the damage may not become clear for some time. Couture said the algae bloom could linger until late fall, and officials will need to conduct a survey after it disappears to determine its overall effect on the area's shellfish.
"She said the affected mudflats could take years to fully recover.
"Intense weather this fall could also complicate the situation by pushing additional blooms toward Maine waters, Couture added."
#ClimateDiaryMaine #ClimateChange #ToxicAlgae #Maine #AlgalBloom #OceansAreLife #WaterIsLife #KareniaMikimotoi