VENICE, Fla. (WSVN) — Eleven dolphins have been found dead in Florida’s Gulf Coast, and researchers suspect red tide is to blame.
A 12-year-old dolphin named “Speck” is the most recent of the marine mammals to have died in Sarasota County. He had been studied by the Chicago Zoological Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Fox 13 reports. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium staff recovered his body in an area where red tide has been present.
Speck’s death has brought the total of dead dolphins found in the past week to 11. The news comes on the heels of yesterday’s announcement by Florida Gov Rick Scott, who declared a state of emergency in seven counties along Florida’s Gulf due to the toxic algae bloom known as red tide. Scott has ordered $1.5 million to be spent on clean-up efforts.
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“The fact that it’s starting to impact our dolphins makes us even more nervous about what’s to come,” said Rebeccah Hazelkorn, senior biologist at Mote.
Mote staff will conduct necropsies to determine their cause of death, but the naturally-occurring red tide is suspected.
The laboratory noted deceased dolphins were found in the waters off Sarasota County, where an endangered sea turtle had previously been found dead. That area was confirmed to have red tide.
“With no other visible evidence for why it died, red tide exposure is suspected,” researchers noted in a Facebook post.
“Dolphins are much faster-moving animals. They have been able to detect [red tide] and swim out of it. Turtles are actually pretty good at detecting red tide and avoiding it. It’s just where the animals are going and how bad the bloom is and how fast it gets into their system,” said Hazelkorn.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, this year’s red tide bloom is considered the worst Florida has seen in a decade. It happens when the microscopic algae called K. brevis suddenly multiplies, turning water a red or brown color. It produces toxins that can affect the central nervous system of animals in the water, causing them to die. Waves release those toxins in the air, which can irritate the eyes and lungs of humans.
Florida Fish and Wildlife says red tide is not a new phenomenon; it has been documented in the Gulf of Mexico as far back as the 1700s. Although it is a naturally-occurring problem that pre-dates man-made pollution, FWC says red tide are capable of using man-made nutrients for their growth.