Dozens of dead fish, including hammerhead and bonnethead sharks, have washed up on Marco Island’s beaches due to the ongoing red tide bloom in the Gulf of Mexico.
The bloom, stretching across 100 square miles off the Southwest Florida coast, is producing toxic algae known to harm marine life and cause skin irritation, coughing and itchy eyes in humans.
"We've just come down here in the last half hour and started our walk, and we passed about six deceased, unfortunately, baby hammerheads all along the shoreline," said Sally Jameson, visiting Marco Island.
Visitors Kate and Steve Hoane have also felt the effects of red tide since arriving on January 1.
"A couple times we've had a little bit of a cough, but today was a little worse, and we've seen at least four or maybe five dead hammerhead sharks," they said.
For marine life, exposure to red tide can be deadly. Dr. Michael Parsons, a marine science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, explained how the toxic algae affect sea creatures.
"When we see fish kills, including sharks, the main root of exposure would be through their gills. And so if they're swimming through the bloom or near the bloom, the individual red tide cells are about the size of a grain of sand. They're like a little bag of toxic water, if you will," Parsons said.
The impacts go beyond fish. Birds, sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins can also be harmed by the toxic bloom. Parsons advises caution when consuming seafood caught in affected areas.
"Red tide is a kind of microscopic algae. So these are like plants, they're photosynthetic, about the size of a grain of sand. And there's all kinds of these small phytoplankton in the water. But the red tide in particular can produce toxins, and these toxins can kill fish. There are toxins, that can get in seafood," Parsons said.
If you come in contact with red tide, health officials recommend rinsing off with fresh water and soap.
The Florida Department of Health and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are expected to release updated water test results tomorrow.