![]() ![]() Of those, 63 were loggerhead sea turtles. Since this latest bloom began in October, Florida wildlife biologists have documented 104 sea turtles they think died from red tide across Southwest Florida, Jones said. A full necropsy will take place the first week of April, according to Fish and Wildlife Research Institute spokesperson Carly Jones. State wildlife officials say the turtle had no identifiable cause of death, so experts are attributing it to red tide. Still, it’s not just fish succumbing to the toxic algal blooms lately.Ī dead loggerhead sea turtle washed ashore on Madeira Beach on Saturday, causing a flurry of concerned outcry from city residents on social media. And they grow really slowly, so it takes a long time for the population to recover. ![]() Theyre susceptible to cold snaps and red tide. But they gather in big groups to spawn, which makes them easy to catch. In comparison, in summer 2021, as many as 9 tons of dead fish were cleared from St. Goliath grouper can grow to massive size 800 pounds and 8 feet long. ‘Just Sucked it In’ The moment a Goliath. About 20 tons of dead fish and debris have been cleared since Dec. Threats to the species include commercial and recreational fishing, harmful algal blooms (red tide), and habitat loss, says the NOAA website. The county hasn’t activated its dead fish cleanup contractor yet, meaning most of the response so far is sporadic and manageable, Fabrizio said. Young goliath groupers live in mangrove habitats, most commonly off southwest Florida, and move to shallow reefs as they grow. The goliath grouper is found primarily in shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs. At that time, hundreds of dead fish could be seen at a time along Tampa Bays waters, with one local fisherman describing it as 'an absolute nightmare' that 'looked like a bomb had gone off.' The most recent bloom seems to have started in late September 2022. They were once so overfished in the southeastern United States, they were considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Floridas last devastating red tide event was recent just two years ago in 2021. Dead fish from red tide are scattered up and down Pass-A-Grille Beach tonight /aiY2cTAWe1- Max Chesnes March 4, 2023 The goliath grouper is the largest grouper species in the Atlantic Ocean weighing up to 800 pounds. ![]()
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