Bloom of toxic algae stretching from Alaska to California worse than scientists thought

Researchers have discovered that a bloom of toxic algae off the West Coast is denser, deeper, and covers a larger area than previously thought.

Surveyors on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel found that the cloud of microscopic algae could be 40 miles wide and is 650 feet deep in some areas, The Associated Press reports. It's thriving due to unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures, stretches from Alaska down to California, and has forced fisheries to shut down. In Washington, elevated levels of toxins have been found in Dungeness crab meat, and more than half of the state's coast is now closed to crab fishing.

Scientists say that while these "red tides" are cyclical and have happened before, this time around it's larger and lasting much longer. "We think it's just sitting and lingering out there," says Anthony Odell, a University of Washington research analyst. "It's farther offshore, but it's still there."

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