Red Tide - Death Comes to Gasparilla Island Florida

A recent red tide algae bloom has killed a lot of the reef fish and other fish close to the beaches of Gasparilla Island In Southwest Florida.
"Red tide" is caused by microscopic algae (plant-like microorganism) called Karenia brevis. The red tide organism: Karenia brevis or K. brevis produces a toxin that can affect the central nervous system of fish, birds, mammals and other animals including humans.
Blooms of K.Brevis in our area, often intensify where fresh water run off from land meets salt water. The blooms that did the damage seen in this video, intensified at the Gulf inlets from Sarasota county down through Lee county and they then moved south along the coast. The blooms are moved by tides, ocean currents and wind generated currents. If the algae blooms continue to find food , they will continue to survive and even grow to cover larger areas. These blooms can last for days or months depending on the conditions.

Music: "The Heavens Sing" and "Transgenic Virtual Thought" by DJ Psyonic at CC Mixter.org

2010 DJ Psyonik Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Verify at http://ccmixter.org/files/Psyonik/29257

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Florida
• Red Tide
• Karenia brevis
• K.Brevis
• Fish Kill
• Southwest Florida
• Gasparilla Island
• Redfish
• grouper
• snapper
• pinfish
• death
• toxic algae
• Fishing

[aprilingverizon]

My question is, why have they not cleaned up the beach yet? We just went there on the 7th and the dead fish were left rotting. Why isn't the city cleaning that up???

[CrypticCRICKET]

@aprilingverizon: I think the policy is that it has to pose a health risk for a cleanup. Probably because cleaning it up would cost a lot of money. Sarasota and Collier counties clean up fish kills from their beaches.

The goose that lays the golden eggs is dying a death of 1000 cuts.

[cherry420x]

We have the same here happening. Georgian Bay Ontario Canada. Dead fish and birds all over the shore line.

[CrypticCRICKET]

@cherry420x Do you have fish and seabird kills often up there?

[cherry420x]

@CrypticCRICKET From an artical I read it happened about 10 years ago. There are 6k-10k birds and fish dead,mostly birds... from Wasaga Beach to Parry Sound, about a 3 kilometre stretch and the governement is blaming it on the birds eating fish that have botulism, due to a hot summer, but they are still doing test, they have said that this might go on for another month.

[CrypticCRICKET]

@cherry420x Interesting. I just googled up an article about it. I wasn't aware that live fish carried butulism. I guess they do but it's mostly dormant until they die. Sounds like it has only been a problem a few other times in years past.

Not good that the lower end of the food chain is being shaken like this.

[Mercuryverado200]

I freakin hate red tide. a lot of it is due to all the crap that gets washed into the ocean then with high heat... cant believe how many reds died. so sad

[MyTbradley]

Gosh this is just horrific !!!!

[cherrypie11061]

This makes me feel so angry seeing all this death of our wildlife

[CrypticCRICKET]

@theoriginalwah I've been present as a red tide bloom get's pushed up against the beach by the tide and I've watched what happens to the fish. They become disoriented and start spinning in circles as they swim. They eventually stop swimming (wihin a few minutes) and sink to the bottom dead. I've watched marine crabs crawl up onto land to get away from the red tide and then they weaken and die because they can't live out of the water.