Fish kills speckle Indian River Lagoon
Florida wildlife officials received reports of scattered fish kills this week, stretching from near Brevard County's northern border south to Melbourne.
On Thursday, residents monitoring the Indian River Lagoon happened upon more than 100 stingrays, along with dozens of puffer fish, eels and other species.
One eel could be seen stretching toward the surface, gasping for air. One small fish made a final death leap out of the water, before sinking and dying.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has received more than 30 reports from Brevard County involving fish kills believed associated with an ongoing algae bloom in the Banana River and northern and central Indian River over the past month.
The algae, called Pyrodinium bahamense, is the same species that glows at night when stirred, a phenomenon called bioluminescence. But in excess, it can produce toxins and can cause drastic dips in dissolved oxygen in the water, which results in fish kills.
The latest find was discovered this week in the Indian River, at the southeast corner of the Pineda Causeway, not far from the State Road 3 exit.
Florida Fish and Wildlife has received reports of dead fish throughout the week, ranging from Shiloh, near Brevard's northern border, to the Melbourne area.
"(Florida Fish and Wildlife's) staff have received reports from sampling and monitoring partners indicating that the bloom is patchy in space and time, and that dissolved oxygen is reduced in subsurface waters, and at certain times of the day," said Michelle Kerr, a spokeswoman for the state agency.
Officials had previously warned that an algae bloom striking the area would likely create conditions that could promote other incidents. There have also been a number of reports on social media detailing the color of the river and locations of fish kills.
Dissolved oxygen is among the most vital indicators of good water quality, essential for fish and other marine life. Fish need at least 2 milligrams per liter of dissolved oxygen in the water. Below that, they begin to suffocate.
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What we know about the Indian River Lagoon fish kill
The hotter water gets, the less oxygen it can hold. In warmer waters, there are larger spaces between water molecules, so it's easier for oxygen to escape. Water molecules pack closer together in colder water, holding oxygen tighter.
"It's just super hot," said Richard Paperno, an FWC biologist in Melbourne. "The fish in the shallow water, they're going to come to the surface."
The water in the area of the latest fish kill was clear but a more murky brown a few feet offshore.
"An initial review suggests that this event in the Northern Indian River Lagoon is being caused by naturally occurring low dissolved oxygen,'' said Kelly Richmond of the Fish and Wildlife Commission..
In March, the Indian River Lagoon saw one of its most widely reported fish kills when thousands of fish and other water life washed up along the river from Merritt Island to Indialantic.
A brown tide composed of algae blooming in the lagoon was considered the blame for that incident.
Submit a report of a fish kill online, or call the Fish Kill Hotline: 800-636-0511.
