Unusual marine mammal event prompts federal agency to open investigation over red tide dolphin deaths
A federal agency is investigating two unusual marine mammal events, and one of those is dolphins dying due to a toxic red tide bloom in Southwest Florida.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday announced the events, which also includes elevated strandings of harbor and gray seals in the Northeast.
'There’s been elevated bottlenose strandings, which began in July of 2018," said Teri Rowles, a NOAA scientist. "Currently as of this morning we have 49 stranded bottlenose dolphins and 48 of those were dead and the one was stranded live and that animals is in rehabilitation."
More:Red tide forum in Collier County: Scientists try to answer residents' questions
More:Florida algae crisis: What's the difference between red tide and blue-green algae?
Photos:CROW rehabs sea turtles affected by red tide
Those numbers were recorded from July 1 through Aug. 30, Rowles said.
The area under investigation stretches from Pinellas to Collier.
'This is well above the historic average for this time frame for this geographic area of eight bottlenose dolphins," Rowles said.
Rowles said NOAA took samples from 10 of the dolphins, and all tested positive for red tide toxins.
Connect with this reporter: Chad Gillis on Twitter.