By Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
ROCKPORT, Maine - A marine researcher is working on a formula he says will allow the state of Maine to forecast the level of economic loss suffered by the state's shellfish industry due to red tide.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution senior research specialist Porter Hoagland says the formula will help the state put a dollar amount on the economic activity lost due to clam and mussel harvesting closures forced by red tide.
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration says on its website that red tide in the Gulf of Maine is caused by a certain type of algae that produces a highly potent toxin responsible for shellfish poisoning in people and wildlife eating contaminated shellfish.
It happens along the Gulf of Maine coast most years, causing varying degrees of damage.