A moderate "red tide" is expected in New England this spring and summer that could force the closing of shellfish beds, according to experts.

A red tide is a type of harmful algae bloom. The algae in the water don't pose a direct threat to people, but toxins produced by the algae can accumulate in mussels and clams and cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in people who eat them.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded scientists used a new computer model to forecast the 2012 outlook for the Gulf of Maine and concluded that a moderate red tide could cause the closure of shellfish beds along 126 to 250 miles of coastline.

via US News and World Report.