Officials wary of red-algae blooms off Jones Inlet

State environmental officials are investigating red-algae blooms spotted this week off Jones Inlet and in New York Harbor to determine whether they pose a threat to humans or the environment.

A report Monday from the Coast Guard labeled the blooms "red tide" - a layman's term often applied to any algae, toxic or not, that turn water red - and advised swimmers and boaters to steer clear of the patches.

But the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Tuesday that the red-algae varieties found in New York waters don't usually sicken people who ingest or swim through them.

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