Article: Massive toxic algae bloom reaches from California to Alaska

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oceanographers are studying whether climate change is contributing to an unprecedented bloom of toxic algae that spans the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada, raising health concerns and leading to multimillion-dollar income losses from closed fisheries. 

The runaway bloom of pseudo-nitzschia algae is believed to have been spawned in part by unusually warm ocean water along the West Coast that scientists have dubbed "the blob."

"The blob" is a natural and recurrent phenomenon, possibly linked to El Nino. And large blooms are common where water is warmer than normal or high in plant nutrients (usually from human sources).

However, half of the article tries to tie it into catastrophic anthropogenic global warming, i.e., climate change.

The article is full of tentative words/phrases: whether climate change is contributing; have yet to determine; global climate change; may be a harbinger; things to come; climate change; a window to the future; could see happen; climate change scenarios.

Two reporters and two editors are responsible for this mash-up.