Dolphin, turtle carcasses examined for red tide link on US Beach

Melanie Stawicki Azam, News Journal Online 14 Dec 07;

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Several dolphins, two sea turtles and hundreds of fish have washed up dead on Southeast Volusia beaches, prompting biologists to investigate whether red tide is the culprit.

A mother dolphin -- with a baby dolphin born prematurely -- was found dead Thursday morning on New Smyrna Beach near the 4600 block of South Atlantic Avenue. Later in the afternoon, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute reported a sixth dead dolphin in the Canaveral National Seashore area.

Thursday's deaths followed a report of four dolphins found deceased Wednesday on the shores of Canaveral National Seashore.

"There is a presumption of a connection" of the dolphins deaths to red tide, said J.B. Kump, executive director of Florida development for Hubbs-SeaWorld. But he said that can't be confirmed until toxicology tests on the dead dolphins are completed in a few days.

Florida red tides are natural phenomena caused by a microscopic organism, Karenia brevis. It produces a toxin that can kill fish, birds and marine mammals, such as dolphins and manatees, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

Carli Segelson, wildlife commission spokeswoman, said two manatee deaths -- in which exposure to red tide is the suspected cause of death -- were reported in Volusia County last month in Mosquito Lagoon. One was reported Nov. 5 in Edgewater and another Nov. 6 in Oak Hill.

"They're basically ingesting the red tide organism, as well as swimming in it," she said.

Dolphins eat fish, which can contain the red tide toxin, Segelson said.

"It's the worst I've seen," Canaveral National Seashore's Chief Ranger Eric Lugo said about the red tide outbreak and its possible effects on local wildlife.

The park has had a rash of dead sea creatures wash up on its beaches, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, he said. Besides the dead dolphins, thousands of dead fish, one leatherback and one loggerhead turtle and a couple of sea birds were found over the past couple of days on the park's beach side, not along the river, he said.

Volusia County Beach Patrol spokesman Capt. Scott Petersohn said red tide conditions have plagued plenty of humans in New Smyrna Beach this week.

"(Wednesday) we even closed lifeguard towers a little early," he said. "Guards were hacking, sneezing and coughing so bad."

The red tide conditions seemed to re-emerge Monday, peaked Tuesday and Wednesday, he said, and subsided a bit Thursday.

Thursday, he said he felt its effects in Daytona Beach and it seemed to be moving north. A cold front is expected Saturday, which could put a damper on the algae bloom and give some relief to beachgoers, he said.

Red tide has been found sporadically in waters along Volusia and Flagler counties' coasts since early October. Segelson said the bloom off Volusia County is one big, patchy bloom moving around with the currents and tides.

Since 1957, blooms have been reported eight times along the state's east coast, she said, while 46 to 47 blooms occurred on its west coast.