In Kachemak Bay, Kotzebue and beyond, Alaskans are on the lookout for harmful algae blooms

Algae is vital to a healthy marine system, and most of the hundreds of varieties in Alaska’s waters are beneficial or benign.

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But the handful that are harmful are, like other algae, proliferating in warmer conditions and releasing or threatening to release toxins that can sicken people and wildlife and, in the worst cases, cause deaths.

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