Why Washington shellfish appear pumpkin spice flavored
Oct 28, 2024, 2:15 PM | Updated: 5:14 pm
Some Washington razor clams appear to have orange spots following the bloom of naturally occurring dinoflagellate (plankton) Tripos spp. (Photo: Dick Storts via WDFW)
(Photo: Dick Storts via WDFW)
Washington shellfish look to have joined in the Halloween spirit after a plankton bloom sprouted orange spots on clams and oysters.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said in a Facebook post last week, it received reports of orange spots or stains in razor clams and oysters. The spots were found in clams along coastal beaches and oysters in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor.
While the shellfish appears to be pumpkin spice flavored, or changing like the fall leaves, the orange spots are due to the bloom of naturally occurring dinoflagellate (plankton) Tripos spp., the WDFW stated. The bloom has been seen off the Washington Coast since early October.
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Packaged oysters with some orange coloration. (Photo courtesy of WDFW)
“This plankton is commonly found in water samples, though large blooms are less common,” the agency stated in its post. “In fact, the last time a large-scale bloom of Tripos spp. was found off the Washington Coast was in 1995!”
The department added that current ocean conditions have been favorable for plankton growth, although recent samples have shown “drastically decreased amounts of Tripos spp.”
According to the Ocean Biodiversity Information System’s website, “the dinoflagellate Tripos is globally widespread and as a (recognized) key indicator genus has the potential for being a marker for climate-based changes in the ocean.”
Fortunately, the WDFW said oysters and razor clams with orange coloring are safe to eat and there is no concern for shellfish health.
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The department said it is going to continue to monitor coastal waters for any changes in collaboration with the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Blooms Partnership (ORHAB).
As stated on ORHAB’s website, the partnership’s mission is to share information with local communities on the Olympic Peninsula and to empower tribes and state managers to make scientifically-based decisions about managing harmful algal bloom.
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
