MELBOURNE, Fla. — Fishermen and residents say this past week's fish kill is the worst they've ever seen in the Indian River Lagoon.
Thick clusters of dead fish drifted near neighborhoods in south Cocoa Beach and Patrick Air Force Base, blanketing canals with corpses. The death toll spans the spectrum of about 30 species, from pint-sized junk fish to plump, prize-sized sport fish.
And now comes the cleanup. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collects and analyzes samples during fish kills, but the state agency doesn't typically remove all of the rotting fish.
"FWC does not clean up, that is up to each municipality to decide how to proceed," Frank McCloy, a spokesman with FWC said. "We do not advise people to clean up the fish themselves. Nature will take its course."
Brevard County has been removing dead fish at county lagoon-side parks and other county-owned land this week, but it doesn't typically remove them from private property.
The county received so many calls this week, however, that officials plan to put out dumpsters at several waterfront parks where residents can dump the rotting fish. The county is also organizing a cleanup effort, with locations and other details to be determined Wednesday morning.
“We’re looking for volunteers and working with regulatory agencies to see if they’ll help too,” Assistant County Manager Venetta Valdengo said in a release. She expects dumpsters to be put in place before the end of the day Wednesday.
State wildlife officials suspect ongoing algae blooms are depleting the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water.
The dominant species in the lagoon right now is a brown tide algae that's been blooming for months. But that algae also is joined by blooming species of the same green algae linked to a 2011 "superbloom" that killed of thousands of acres of lagoon seagrass.
The ongoing algae blooms are not toxic and no fish consumption advisories or recreational advisories have been issued.
Buz Underill, owner of Squid Lips restaurants in Cocoa Beach and Melbourne, said dead fish have been washing up to the banks at his restaurants, less than a month after the Cocoa Beach location's opening.
"The timing is real unfortunate," Underill said.
Customers have been curious, but understanding.
"There's a few of them that want to know what's going on," Underill said. "Most people understand."
Capt. Jamie Glasner, who's disgusted by the smell of rotting fish outside his Cocoa Beach home, worries about his business, Fin & Fly Charters.
Fishermen have reported dead red fish more than four feet in length. Glasner thinks the state ought to put a temporary ban on harvesting red fish, and maybe trout and other sport fish, until they get a chance to recover. Florida created a similar ban on snook after cold snaps devastated that species several years ago.
"I don't see nearly the amount of fish that we used to," Glasner said. "People are still going to go fishing, regardless ... We're wiping it out, we're wiping out this industry here. It's getting bad."
Other reports of dead wildlife this week included an alligator in Sykes Creek in Merritt Island and a manatee in Cocoa Beach, but it's uncertain whether those were linked to the bloom. Some of the recent pelican and manatee casualties might just be the result of migration and the change of seasons, biologists said.
A two-foot-long catfish drifted up against the coquina rocks at Ballard Park in Melbourne Tuesday, as Tara Bryan and her son, Joshua, 9, watched the dead fish floating. More fish could be seen as distant white dots toward the middle of the lagoon.
"He's all concerned," Tara Bryan said of her son. "He pulled me out here. He wants it to get fixed."
Joshua swung his arms side-to-side, looking out into the lagoon, where he and his mother like to watch the dolphins that show up here from time to time. "Now all the dolphins leave," the 9-year-old said.
Tara Bryan wants Gov. Rick Scott and more politicians to come see for themselves the destruction happening to the lagoon.
"It affects the economy," she said. "None of them come down to see. What's going on is ridiculous. It's just sad,"
Follow Jim Waymer on Twitter: @JWayEnviro
