What's Going On Sad

[tlindsey]

I hope they find out quickly what's causing this

 

[koltsixx]

It is sad and scary. Events like this seem to be happening to often for my comfort. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive but I find these things very worrisome especially since they don't know the underlying cause. At least when we know there's the possibility of us being able to address it. Hopefully they find out what it is soon.

 

[Joshuakahan]

I hope they find out quickly what's causing this

There’s some wacky conspiracy theories in the video comments. I’m guessing it’s some kind of toxin from agricultural runoff

 

[tlindsey]

I’m guessing it’s some kind of toxin from agricultural runoff

You could be right. I told my family possibly chemicals.

 

[esoxlucius]

They report that it's got them baffled, they haven't a clue, they've ruled out so many things.....and then go on to say that there has been an increase in a toxic algae! So apart from the toxic algae they haven't got a clue! WTF!

I like how the woman goes on to say that it's only an inshore problem so far and that fisherman shouldn't be put off from going fishing further out in open water. Oh, she owns the local fishing tackle shop by the way! Lol.

Whatever's going on, manmade or natural, I hope it figures itself out because saw fish are awesome, and in grave danger as it is, let alone having this dumped on them too.

 

[tlindsey]

she owns the local fishing tackle shop by the way! L

Told my wife she was focused on the money no concern about people eating possible toxic fish.

 

[tlindsey]

saw fish are awesome, and in grave danger as it is, let alone having this dumped on them too.

One of my favorite marine fish. Yes I agree already on the endangered list.

 

[neutrino]

Best information so far seems to favor toxic algae different from the species causing red tide.

RESEARCHERS CLOSE IN ON ‘MOST PROMISING LEADS’ BEHIND SPINNING FISH & SAWFISH DEATHS (keysweekly.com)

The team’s first lead, Parsons said, came from elevated levels of a family of algae known as Gambierdiscus detected in the water column in areas with affected fish, as well as in the gut contents of some affected animals.

“It’s a benthic species, so seeing it in the water is a little unusual,” said Parsons, who added that abundances of the organisms were “anywhere from five times higher to about 30 times above averages we’ve seen over the past 10 years” near seagrass beds with fish exhibiting the erratic behavior.

...So far, toxins produced by Gambierdiscus have been detected in “reef-associated” fish samples and bottom-dwelling algal samples studied by Robertson and her team. Also detected were levels of okadaic acid, a toxin produced by another dinoflagellate that’s more commonly associated with shellfish in northern latitudes, and a few other “novel compounds” still under study. While the presence of these toxins themselves aren’t the “smoking gun” that researchers have been searching for, she said, “we could be looking at the fact that those background levels (of toxins) might make fish more susceptible to whatever is causing the spinning.”

Though seldom mentioned in coverage of the event thus far, spinning fish have been shown to recover in some cases when moved to clean water, supporting the idea that whatever causes the spinning behavior is in the water column and crossing the gills of affected fish, Robertson said. The symptoms reported in these fish, she said, are consistent with neurotoxins produced by algae.