Red tide: Fort Myers Beach removes 10 tons of dead fish from beaches; 3 tons to go

Andrew West, Fort Myers News-Press
·1 min read
28

Fish littered Fort Myers Beach near the middle of the island Monday with what the experts are attributing to red tide.

Fort Myers Beach officials have hauled off 10 tons of fish, with another three tons to be removed Monday.

Fish kills have been reported from Sanibel Island south to Marco Island.

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Red tide is caused by a naturally occurring microscopic marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. With the right water temperature and nutrients, K. brevis can multiply quickly, creating a harmful algal bloom that produces a toxin that can cause death to marine life and and respiratory irritation in humans.

The News-Press and Naples Daily News visuals journalist Andrew West was on Fort Myers Beach on Monday and this video and photos show what he saw.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Red tide Florida: Fort Myers Beach removes 10 tons of dead fish