Saturday, September 02, 2006
Don't eat the New Brunswick mussels
On the way to Newfoundland we camped a couple nights in Fundy national park, and took a stroll on the beach at low tide. Sadly, the mussels are apparently toxic (see below). I guess it must be pollution, although you wouldn't guess it as the beaches in the park are still quite beautiful and quiet. The shells on the beaches of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were also noticeably tiny, but it was interesting to find that the shells on the more isolated beaches of western Newfoundland were much larger and more numerous. It's crazy to see human activity, even in these relatively unpopulated places, having such a noticeable impact on the ecosystems of an ocean that seems so massive and indestructable. 
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2 comments:
I would be surprised if it is pollution that is the cause of the shellfish warning. At least it's probably not the direct cause, more likely red tide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide
That's interesting... I didn't realize PSP toxins were connected to the redness of the water. I always thought the red color was due to the soil making up the seabed being red due to a lot of iron or something...When the tide goes out in fundy the beach is totally red, and even most of the soil in the region is very red...On the other hand, some people think that human pollution causes a rise in the abudnace of red-pigmented, toxic algae...I always assumed Fundy beaches had always been red in recent histroy...it's all a bit confusing...
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