State closes shellfishing areas in Huntington

Shellfish harvesting in and around Northport Bay was temporarily shut down on Wednesday because a potentially lethal toxin has been detected in shellfish there, state environmental officials said Wednesday.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has closed about 2,200 acres of underwater land in Huntington Town waters. The closure includes all areas in Northport Bay, Centerport Harbor and Duck Island Harbor that lie east of Sand City Beach and Crescent Beach pavilion. Baymen harvest clams, mussels and oysters in those spots.

It is the fourth time that saxitoxin - a poison that accumulates in shellfish - was found in the area since 2006. The toxin is produced by phytoplankton alexandrium, a tiny marine organism that shellfish ingest when filter-feeding.

People who eat shellfish with high concentrations of the poison can experience symptoms ranging from numb or tingling extremities to headache, nausea and dizziness. Severe cases can lead to paralysis, respiratory failure and death within two to 25 hours of ingestion, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The DEC will reopen the areas as soon as lab tests of shellfish and water samples indicate that it is safe to do so. A map of the closure areas will be posted on the agency's website at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/35917.html. For updates and more information, call 631-444-0480.