Red tide arrives on LI earlier than usual
An algae bloom, known as Red tide, has returned to the East End. A Red tide is seen in Cutchogue Harbor in August 2008. Credit: Office of Ecology
The ominous red streaks showed up early this year - patches of rust-colored water as big as an acre spotted this week near the Shinnecock Canal and in Noyack Bay.
East End baymen call it red tide, blooms of harmful algae that can kill captive fish and shellfish. It typically arrives in late August; researchers think this summer's heat wave may have spurred an earlier bloom.
