Coast Guard: Swath of red tide found in NY Harbor, stretches for nearly 10 miles

Coast Guard: Swath of red tide found in NY Harbor

NEW YORK — The Coast Guard says a nearly 10-mile-long ribbon of red tide has been spotted in New York Harbor.

The agency says the outbreak of potentially harmful algae was reported early Monday and confirmed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. DEP representatives didn’t immediately respond to telephone and e-mail messages on the Labor Day holiday.

Authorities say swimmers and boaters should avoid contact with the reddish-brown sheen. It stretches from about the site of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum off Manhattan to Hoffman Island, off Staten Island.

Red tide is caused by naturally occurring algae that produce a toxin. It can cause temporary breathing trouble and other problems if people ingest it and can make shellfish unsafe to eat.