Fish Kill in Brevard County

From wftv.com

Major Fish Kill Creating Stink Along Brevard County Coast

POSTED: 5:48 pm EST November 28, 2007

COCOA BEACH, Fla. -- A major fish kill is causing a major stink in Brevard County. A red tide bloom has been affecting the beach for weeks. Now dead fish are washing up on shore.

The red tide bloom is affecting both Volusia and Brevard counties. The fish kill is in Brevard County, between Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

You could feel the red tide's affects in your throat, nose and eyes Wednesday. Some people told Eyewitness News it was worse Tuesday. So far, it's the worst episode of red tide the county has seen in years.

A chorus of coughing rang out at the Cocoa Beach pier, Tuesday, almost enough to drown out the sound of the waves crashing ashore. Some beachgoers could barely stand the irritation.

"My throat," said one beachgoer, coughing. "I can't talk for it. It's bad."

Some added surgical masks to their surfing and skim board gear.

"It kills your throat pretty bad. I put on the mask and I'm pretty good," one surfer told Eyewitness News.

It wasn't just the irritants in the air. Thousands of dead fish have washed ashore, mostly mullets more than a foot in length, now rotting in the warm fall air. Fish and Wildlife Commission researchers are collecting samples to confirm suspicions that it is the result of red tide.

While the ocean has not taken on the red appearance associated with the name, it's caused by an algae bloom off shore that releases toxins, sometimes in such high concentrations it is released into the air and can kill marine life.

Experts said no humans have ever been killed by an algae bloom, but you can feel the symptoms, until you leave the beach area. Experts also said there's no telling how long the algae bloom might persist. Just like the fish on the beach, it will just be a matter of time before nature takes care of both of them.

Tests should be out Friday that show just how concentrated the bloom is.