Toxic Algae Contamination and Demand for Shellfish: A Case Study of Demand for Mussels in Montreal‪.‬

Introduction In the past decade, the occurrence and severity of toxic algae blooms seem to have increased worldwide. (1) Often known as red tides (though the actual color can be red, yellow, green or brown) these blooms of phytoplankton result when dinoflagellates, diatoms and several other groups of photosynthetic microalgae populations rapidly multiply (Smayda, 1992). Some blooms consist of particular species of algae which produce toxins capable of accumulating in wild or aquacultured fish and shellfish. Public health threats occur when toxin concentrations in harvested fish or shellfish exceed safe thresholds.