FGCU researchers seek answers to mysterious fish deaths and behavior

Scientists are testing the water in Florida to see if they can solve the mysterious deaths of endangered fish.

State lawmakers allocated $2 million to figure out what’s happening in our water.

Between endangered smalltooth sawfish deaths, stingrays swimming upside down and dozens of fish spinning and swimming erratically, scientists believe the problem is something in the water.

Offshore of Long Key, between South Islamorada and the north end of Marathon, the water is crystal clear. What’s causing the alarming number of sawfish deaths is murky and uncertain.

“What’s been really sad is that it hasn’t even really been like the sawfish babies that have been washing up. It’s been all these 8-to-10-foot adults that have just been beaching themselves,” said Rachael Schinbeckler, a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate student and research lab coordinator.

Schinbeckler is one of many researchers trying to solve the mass mortality mystery.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports 21 deaths since Jan. 30, which is a dramatic difference from the typical number of four or five reported deaths per year.

FGCU’s Adam Catasus says those deaths are coming in the middle of an outbreak of unusual fish behavior.

FWC has nearly 200 reports of nearly a dozen species acting bizarrely.

“I would compare it to seeing a fish in water seizing, and they just are randomly swimming in all directions when they’re stimulated,” said Catasus.

Analyzing toxins can take a long time; it will be months before those results are back.

Click here to see how you can report a dead smalltooth sawfish to FWC.