Although many people complain when Hurst makes a recommendation to the commissioner to shut down an area, Maine is much more responsive to harvesters than other states. While Massachusetts and other states shut down all harvesting right away when a red tide occurs, Hurst has worked out a more complex system that targets species, often resulting in only a few areas being closed at a time. It's an extremely good program that scientists and agency people throughout the world recognize as one of the best, if not the best. Hurst spends his days in a basement laboratory in West Boothbay Harbor. Sampling usually begins during the last two weeks in March and ends sometime in October.
Shellfish are prone to contamination because they filter microscopic foods in the water.
Mussels are usually the first species to show signs of trouble, because they pump 100 gallons of water a day, about twice as much as clams. Mussels become toxic about a week to 10 days before clams. The toxin doesn't kill mussels, but it can affect clams. Hurst and his staff look to both species as early warning systems. Staff photo by John Ewing John Hurst, who directs biotoxin monitoring at the Maine Department of Resources, boils minced clams and hydrochloric acid in the department's laboratory Thursday.