I Know Nothing
Toxic red tide has killed a record number of endangered manatees along the Southwest Florida coast.
With no sign of when the deadly algae bloom might abate, the preliminary death toll of 174 is likely to continue rising, state and federal wildlife managers said Monday. The number already has topped a previous red tide high of 151 in 1996.
“It’s really hard to make any kind of prediction on it,’’ said Kevin Baxter, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Each outbreak is a little different.’’
This red tide covers roughly 70 miles from Sarasota south to Pine Island Sound, where the majority of deaths have been recorded in warm waters where the sea cows congregate during the winter. Sampling has found the algae, which also has triggered sporadic fish kills, as far south as Collier County at times.
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