Thousands of fish have died off the Treasure Coast since temperatures dropped dramatically in the past several days.
Most of the fish that died are smaller baitfish such as ladyfish, pilchards and glass minnows, according to Vero Beach-based charter fishing captain James Cronk and Vero Beach-based mate Lewis Arnold. Cronk spotted eight to 10 dead tarpon and 50-60 dead snook off Vero Beach, including four large snook, he told TCPalm Feb. 4. Arnold said he saw two dead tarpon.
Both reported seeing several dead jacks (fish), they said.
“The farther north we went, the bigger the dead fish and the more dead fish we saw,” Cronk said.
Cronk called on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission “to immediately close” snook season in the Indian River Lagoon and the northeast section of the east coast of Florida, which just opened on Feb. 1 and closes on May 31.
Cronk measured water temperatures off Vero Beach and found most of the waters on Feb. 3 to be about 52 degrees Fahrenheit, he said. Water temperatures off Sebastian in the Indian River Lagoon ranged 51-62 degrees and 67-69 degrees since Feb. 2, according to National Weather Service data online.
“All of the fish were having trouble,” Arnold said. “They weren’t running away. The dolphin were destroying them. I saw a pod of 20 dolphin herding the fish. … I saw hundreds of ladyfish just sitting on top of the water huddling to stay warm. It’s heartbreaking. … When the water warmed up to about 60 degrees, the fish got better. They were not as lethargic.”
The FWC received a call about thousands of dead fish in the Indian River near the Wabasso Bridge, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute spokesperson Kelly Richmond told TCPalm Feb. 4.
The primary species reported were snook and tarpon, but callers also mentioned moonfish (also known as lookdowns), mutton snapper, mojarra, threadfin, pilchards, boxfish and bonefish, Richmond said.
How to report fish kills
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida cold causes snook, tarpon fish kill in Indian River Lagoon
Reporting by Timothy O’Hara, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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