Dead thread herring in Brevard remain a mystery
- Thousands of fish continued to wash ashore this week
- State wildlife scientists are testing the water for harmful algae blooms
- Fish are same species — thread herring — that washed up dead last week along beaches in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE — Thousands of dead herring provided an odious distraction Monday from otherwise hospitable beach conditions, dotting the shoreline from south of Patrick Air Force Base through Melbourne Beach.
They appear to be the same species of fish — thread herring — found washed up along other beaches along the Space Coast last week. Countless thread herring washed up dead Thursday along beaches in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.
"There was nothing out here yesterday," said Ron Van Kempen, a seasonal resident from Minnesota, fishing just south of Patrick AFB Monday. He cast his fishing line among floating herring corpses, which also speckled the beach where he stood.
The cause of the fish kill remains unknown.
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State wildlife officials took water samples but don't expect results back until next week, said Frank McCloy, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
While state tests last week found moderate levels of red tide in Southwest Florida, there have been no harmful algae blooms reported in eastern Florida.
The fish lack any marks that would indicate they were discarded from a fishing net.
People should report the dead fish to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline — (800) 636-0511 — but avoid contact with the fish, officials said.
"Stay away from it, don't touch it, don't eat it," McCloy warned.
FWC also received report last Wednesday of about 100 dead fish in the Port St. John area of the lagoon. That species has yet to be identified.
Last Monday, FWC also received report of dead horseshoe crabs off of the Pineda Causeway.
The lagoon temperature was slightly cooler than usual, McCloy said, but the cause of the dead crabs remains unknown.
Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @JWayEnviro
If you see dead fish, report it to the Fish Kill Hotline 1-800-636-0511