Wildlife

Extreme Heat ‘Cooks” Fish in California Lagoon

Some fish just can't take the heat. And unfortunately, that's probably why an estimated 2,000 striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) suddenly died in Malibu Lagoon and Malibu Creek in Southern California last week.

The higher-than-average water temperatures in the lagoon: 80 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 28 degrees Celsius) are thought to be the upper limit in which striped mullet can survive, causing the fish to effectively be cooked in the warm water.

A New 'Brown Tide' Could Make Florida's Dangerous Red Tide Worse

The beaches of southwest Florida are once again graveyards for marine life, thanks to a deadly "red tide" algal bloom floating just beneath the surface of the water offshore. The algae bloom has gone on way longer than usual, since November 2017. And it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better, as a separate bloom — this one called a "brown tide" — appears to be on track to intermingle with the ride tide and feed it.

Brown tides are caused by a cyanobacterium called Trichodesmium that derives its energy from the sun, just like Karenia brevis, the alga that causes toxic red tides. While Trichodesmium can produce toxins on its own, the real danger is that the brown tide could become a food source for the red-tide alga if they mix.

Currently, the ongoing red tide threatens wildlife and humans along about 145 miles (233 kilometers) of coastline between Pinellas and Collier counties in southwest Florida. The offshore brown tide is not yet known to have mixed with the red tide.