"The stocks are gradually building themselves back from the brown tides," he added.

The tiny marine organisms made up the "brown tide" in the area.

The brown tide, he said, had not been there before.

The brown tide is indeed back, but not where it had previously been found in heavy concentrations.

It doesn't matter that the shells are almost nonexistent because of the brown tide.

More than a decade later, the cause of brown tide remains a mystery.

Two straight years of brown tide can wipe out an entire population.

No one specific cause can be identified for the brown tide.

"We were expecting the brown tide to return one of these days, but this time it may be worse than ever."

Because the causes of the brown tide remain largely unknown, no one can say if and when it might return.