A mysterious ailment causing fish in the Florida Keys to spin in circles has touched off a frantic race to find the cause and save an endangered species before it’s too late.Eight months into scientists’ hunt, some think a primary suspect has emerged: Toxins from algae colonizing the seafloor may be causing neurological issues for some fish species.Fishermen noticed the bizarre behavior in October, according to Ross Boucek, a fisheries ecologist with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, a nonprofit conservation and fishing group.“When they shined their lights, fish would turn upside down and spin to the bottom,” he said.Over the following months, Boucek received reports of upside-down stingrays and lemon sharks whirling violently in the mud. Dozens of species were afflicted, including the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish, which is known for its flat snout with teeth that looks like a saw blade.At least 47 sawfish have died, though the number is likely higher, said Michael Crosby, the president and CEO of Mote, a nonprofit marine lab and aquarium. The toll is profound, given that there may be just several hundred of the fish left in U.S. waters.An emergency response to rescue afflicted sawfish launched in early April, involving government agencies and nonprofit partners. Meanwhile, scientists at several laboratories are trying to figure out what’s causing the widespread distress for marine life.Recently, researchers’ tests identified a cocktail of natural toxins in both seawater and the tissues of some stricken fish.“The hypothesis I’m working on at the moment is really that the combination o …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnA mysterious ailment causing fish in the Florida Keys to spin in circles has touched off a frantic race to find the cause and save an endangered species before it’s too late.Eight months into scientists’ hunt, some think a primary suspect has emerged: Toxins from algae colonizing the seafloor may be causing neurological issues for some fish species.Fishermen noticed the bizarre behavior in October, according to Ross Boucek, a fisheries ecologist with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, a nonprofit conservation and fishing group.“When they shined their lights, fish would turn upside down and spin to the bottom,” he said.Over the following months, Boucek received reports of upside-down stingrays and lemon sharks whirling violently in the mud. Dozens of species were afflicted, including the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish, which is known for its flat snout with teeth that looks like a saw blade.At least 47 sawfish have died, though the number is likely higher, said Michael Crosby, the president and CEO of Mote, a nonprofit marine lab and aquarium. The toll is profound, given that there may be just several hundred of the fish left in U.S. waters.An emergency response to rescue afflicted sawfish launched in early April, involving government agencies and nonprofit partners. Meanwhile, scientists at several laboratories are trying to figure out what’s causing the widespread distress for marine life.Recently, researchers’ tests identified a cocktail of natural toxins in both seawater and the tissues of some stricken fish.“The hypothesis I’m working on at the moment is really that the combination o …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
