Florida: Dead Turtles Wash Up by Hundreds, Red Tide Suspected Culprit

In Florida, dead turtles have washed up by the hundreds this year and experts suspect it may be due to the prolonged red tide algae bloom.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation said it has recovered 91 dead turtles on the islands since the start of the red tide in October, and more than 100 have been found in Sarasota County and 66 in Collier County, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

The red tide also can cause fish kills and breathing problems in humans when levels get high enough, usually 10,000 cells per liter, the News-Press reported. The algae that cause the red tide, Karenia brevis, are naturally occurring, but the blooms are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting because of human activity like farming and development.

“The red tide is in everything they eat, and they’re breathing it,” Collier County sea turtle expert Maura Kraus told the News-Press. “The most vulnerable turtles are the Kemp’s ridleys and the loggerheads, and it’s concentrated in the food they eat.”

Kemp’s ridleys are among the most endangered sea turtles in the world, and Loggerheads are listed as threatened by the Endangered Species Act.

Waves release the red tide toxin into the air when they crash against the beach, Kraus said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website asked anyone who finds a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle to call the 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number: 1-888-404-3922. Callers should be prepared for questions about the turtle’s exact location, size, and whether the turtle was marked with spray paint, which indicates it has been previously documented. If the turtle is alive, the caller may be asked to stay with it until help can get there.

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