Recreational Shellfish Program, Washington State Department of Health

08/26/2026

Check out this Seattle Times article about shellfish biotoxin testing at the DOH Environmental Biotoxins Laboratory and see some photos of the process!

When a beach closes to shellfish harvest, it may have been this lab that found something was wrong.

08/07/2026

This story highlights how a biotoxin testing method developed by NOAA scientists is helping DOH keep recreational shellfish harvesters and shellfish consumers safe during the most toxic bloom of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in Hood Canal in over a decade. The DOH Marine Biotoxin Program and Public Health Laboratories partnered with NOAA to transfer the technology from the research laboratory to shellfish biotoxin monitoring application in Washington State. Read the story to learn more about the process and the value of the receptor binding assay (RBA) for shellfish safety in WA.

A severely toxic harmful algal bloom involving paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in Washington’s Hood Canal has demonstrated the value of a shellfish toxin test. After more than a decade of research, validation, and technology transfer (moving this method from the research laboratory into...

07/31/2026

Seattle Times article about the impacts of biotoxin in the Hood Canal area.

07/02/2026

Paralytic Shellfish Poison is at lethal levels in Hood Canal. Please read our news release at https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/hood-canal-paralytic-shellfish-poison-lethal-levels

Recreational shellfish harvesting remains closed in Hood Canal from Foulweather Bluff and Port Ludlow Bay south, including Port Gamble Bay, Quilcene Bay, Dabob Bay, and Mats Mats Bay. The closure has been expanded to include Port Townsend, Oak Bay, and Marrowstone Island.

See current biotoxin closure areas in WA at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.

For immediate release: July 2, 2026 (26-051) Contact: DOH Communications

07/01/2026

What’s causing the shellfish closures in Hood Canal and other areas of WA? Take a look at these pictures of a recent Hoodsport area water sample under a microscope. Thanks to Zach Hansen with South Sound Mariculture and Adam James with Hama Hama Oysters for sharing the pictures!

The chain-forming phytoplankton in the pictures is Alexandrium catenella, a species of microscopic algae that produces Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins. PSP toxins have been detected at high levels in shellfish in and near Hood Canal. The phytoplankton Dinophysis was present in the water sample, too. Dinophysis produces another biotoxin that causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP).

Both phytoplankton occur naturally in our waters and are usually present in small amounts. But when they grow quickly or “bloom,” the increased algae are a greater food source for shellfish. Bivalve molluscan shellfish such as clams (including geoduck), mussels, oysters, and scallops can accumulate biotoxins when they feed on toxic algae. The biotoxins don’t harm shellfish but can cause serious illness in people who eat contaminated shellfish.

Biotoxins cannot be destroyed or removed by cooking, freezing, or cleaning shellfish.

Always check the Washington Shellfish Safety Map for current biotoxin closures each time before harvesting: doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety

Learn more about marine biotoxins: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish/illnesses/biotoxins

06/25/2026

Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) isn’t destroyed by cooking or freezing and can’t be removed by cleaning shellfish. There are no visual clues to tell you when shellfish are toxic. You can’t tell by the color of the water or by how shellfish look, smell, or taste. PSP can only be identified through laboratory testing.

To protect yourself from PSP, stay informed. Always check the Shellfish Safety Map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety for current harvest closures before heading to the beach. Or call the recorded Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632. Check on the day of harvest to get updated information and pay attention to warning signs posted at the beach.

Don’t harvest or eat shellfish that are closed by biotoxins. It’s dangerous and could be deadly.

For more shellfish safety information, visit https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish.

Learn more about PSP and other naturally occurring marine biotoxins at https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish/illnesses/biotoxins.

06/24/2026

Hood Canal and southern Admiralty Inlet remain closed to recreational shellfish harvesting due to high levels of the biotoxin Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) in shellfish. Watch this interview with our Marine Biotoxin Lead, Jerry Borchert, to learn more about biotoxins and this closure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_lfz9Zck7A

See current biotoxin closure areas on the Washington Shellfish Safety Map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety. Always check the map for updates on the day you plan to harvest. Conditions can change quickly!

Visit our Marine Biotoxins webpage for more information: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish/illnesses/biotoxins

06/12/2026

BIOTOXIN ALERT! Recreational shellfish harvesting in and near Hood Canal is closed. Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) has been detected at dangerously high, potentially lethal, levels in shellfish samples collected around Union, in Hood Canal. It is unsafe to consume recreationally harvested shellfish from the Hood Canal area. Signs are being posted on public beaches warning people not to harvest shellfish from this area. The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of mollusks. Crab and shrimp are not included in the closure.

PSP toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing and cannot be removed by cleaning shellfish.

PSP symptoms can appear within minutes or hours and usually begin with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and potentially death. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a health care provider or call 911.

Check the WA Shellfish Safety Map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety or recorded Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 for current conditions.

06/12/2026

High temps and low tides ahead! This weekend hot weather is returning to western WA during the lowest tides of the month. Vibrio bacteria grow fast when conditions are warm and shellfish are exposed during low tide. If you’re harvesting shellfish, plan to harvest on the outgoing tide and follow the 3 C’s to have the safest shellfish: CHECK for closures before you harvest, CHILL shellfish right away and keep them cold, and COOK shellfish thoroughly. Cooking oysters and other shellfish to 145°F for at least 15 seconds destroys Vibrio.

Check the Shellfish Safety Map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety or recorded Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632.

Get instructions for handling, storing, and cooking shellfish at https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Shellfish/RecreationalShellfish/IllnessPrevention/HandleStoreandCook

06/01/2026

Hot sunny weather and midday low tides this week increase the risk of illness from Vibrio bacteria in shellfish. Use caution if you harvest shellfish:
-- Gather shellfish at the water line as the tide is going out.
-- Begin cooling shellfish immediately after harvesting and keep them cold.
-- Cook shellfish thoroughly to 145° F for at least 15 seconds.

Warm temperatures can allow naturally occurring bacteria levels to increase quickly, especially when shellfish are exposed during low tide. Learn more about Vibrio in shellfish at https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish/illnesses/vibriosis

Always check the Shellfish Safety Map to make sure the beach is open and approved for harvest before you go: doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety