![]() ![]() If there is positive news, it’s an increased freshwater flow through the Everglades might be the relief Florida Bay needs, said Kelly Cox, a Florida Audubon attorney and member of the Everglades Coalition, a group of environmental advocacy organizations fighting to protect a sprawling system that stretches from north of Lake Okeechobee down to Florida Bay.Īlthough much work remains in the multi-billion-dollar restoration effort, one project that may already be helping is the reconstruction of Tamiami Trail, which effectively acted as a freshwater dam since 1928. Some are worried the lethal heat could even result in a mass seagrass die-off, which could throw the entire bay off balance for years. But scientists and fishing captains like Benson fear they could be the marine equivalent of canaries in the coal mine, a warning of potential risks to larger fish prized by Florida Bay anglers like snook, bonefish and tarpon but, more important, to the vast seagrass meadows that support them. ![]() Unlike coral bleaching that threatens reefs off South Florida, the scattered kills haven’t drawn much public or media attention. The 13 species documented so far include mojarras, grunts and toadfish, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The toll, for now, has been relatively minor, isolated to smaller fish that live in shallow water that are especially vulnerable to heat stress and low oxygen levels. Will Benson was one of the first fish kill observations in the Florida Keys this summer. ![]()
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