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State officials have expanded a temporary shellfish harvesting closure in Shinnecock Bay due to elevated levels of marine biotoxins found in shellfish there.
According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the expanded closure — which took effect Monday — now also includes Shinnecock Bay and its tributaries west of the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays.
The closure applies to both recreational and commercial harvesting of shellfish and carnivorous gastropods, including conchs and whelks, as officials monitor toxin levels that could pose a risk to public health, the DEC website reads.
The DEC said the latest action expands upon a previous April 8 closure that impacted a smaller section of western Shinnecock Bay.
Officials warned that shellfish can accumulate dangerous marine biotoxins during harmful algal bloom events, making them unsafe to eat. The affected waters will remain closed until testing determines toxin levels have dropped to safe levels.
Residents and harvesters can check the status of temporary shellfish closures through the DEC hotline at 631-444-0480 or by visiting this page on the department’s website.
Top: The Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays. (Credit: GLI/Nick Esposito, file)
Inset: A DEC map of the expanded shellfish closure that “supersedes the closure of April 8.”
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