AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's Department of Marine Resources will use a $32,000 grant to improve its ability to test for domoic acid, a biotoxin that can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning.
The state will use the grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund to purchase equipment that can do the testing. Domoic acid is naturally occurring and in 2016 it was found to be at concentration high enough to cause health impacts.
Several shellfish harvesting areas from Bar Harbor to the Canadian border were closed from September to November due to the high levels of the acid. The Food and Drug Administration dictates harvesting areas be closed if domoic acid or other toxins reach certain levels.