MATLACHA, Fla. — Hundreds and maybe even thousands of dead fish are filling a Matlacha canal.
The fish dying after a toxic algae has taken over the waterway.
It’s impacts are evident both visually and by smell.
“It stunk to high heavens already,” said Julie Whitehouse, who lives on the May Street canal.
There’s dead fish everywhere, too many to count.
“Those are greenbacks, so it’s a type of baitfish,” said Michael Dillevig, who also lives on the canal.
The dead fish are usually found in the mat algae.
“Two and three days ago we had big islands of junk floating out here,” said Whitehouse, describing the algae moving into the canal. “We don’t know if it was the blue green algae or something from a septic tank.”
Experts said that the algae is decomposing and becoming anoxic; sucking the oxygen right from the water.
“All that sludgey, yucky stuff is down there and there’s all those dead fish down there,” said Whitehouse. “Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them.”
With the algae continuing to decompose, scientists with the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation said that fish kills could only get worse.
That’s bad news for fishing charter captain Michael Dillevig.
“When people come out and they see this and they have to deal with this in their backyard, I mean, they don’t want to come back to that,” he said.
People living on the canal are hoping for answers before rainy season kicks into full force.
“This is day one, so by day two or three it’s going to be ridiculous,” said Whitehouse.
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Fish kills reported in Matlacha as toxic algae stinks up waterways - ABC7 News
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