Brown tide has left some waters on Long Island the color of a cup of coffee. This year’s outbreak has hit early — the earliest since 2008. The bacteria isn’t dangerous to humans, but pollution helps cause it. Greg Cergol reports.
New York is using clams and oysters to combat harmful algae threatening coastline ecosystems.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced $2 million in funding to support research on Long Island that would increase clam and oyster populations to fight brown tide.
Brown tide occurs when certain phytoplankton species grow to high concentrations and color the water brown along the eastern coast of Long Island.
The condition can decrease the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water and limits survival of other plants and algae.
Clam and oyster populations have been shown to filter and improve water quality. The money would go toward seeding programs and other initiatives at Stony Brook Research Center in ocean health research.
