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2011 Bloom Season

In early 2011, we issued a seasonal forecast for a moderate regional Alexandrium bloom in the Gulf of Maine.  This forecast was borne out, as can be seen by the 2011 closure map.   

The 2011 bloom followed what we consider to be a "typical pattern" for the Gulf of Maine, with toxicity appearing first within and near Casco Bay, then increasing in western Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and subsequently decreasing in those areas in June.  June and July saw toxicity appearing in far eastern Maine, but it was limited to that area and did not extend beyond that area.

2011 Closure Map
Mussel harvesting closure areas along the New England coast during 2011. Compiled from information provided by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

2011 Status Reports