Hundreds of tons of fish wash up on Florida coast

Hundreds of dead fish have washed up on a shore in Tampa Bay, Florida. The deaths have been caused by an ecological event called a ‘red tide’, when a large bloom of rust-colored toxic algae is washed onto Florida’s Gulf coast.

Exposure can cause respiratory problems in humans, but is deadly to marine life. According to local reports, 600 tons of dead fish have washed up since mid-June, forcing a large scale clean up operation to remove the rotten fish. Marine experts have raised concerns that red tides are becoming more regular occurrences as a result of global warming.