Copyright 1998 Stuart News Company
The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News (Stuart,FL)
May 19, 1998, Tuesday
SECTION: Local; Pg. B1
LENGTH: 338 words
HEADLINE: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS ABOUT SICK FISH
BYLINE: Debi Pelletier of the News staff
BODY:
Troubled Waters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is testing shellfish
for biotoxins and Texas A&M University is testing fish for
heavy metals and pesticides.
STUART - As salinity levels return to normal, researchers continue
to scour the muddy shallows of the St. Lucie Estuary for clues
to the recent massive outbreak of fish lesions, which now appears
to be tapering off.
Two months later, there are more questions than answers.
Most of the bacteria found in lesioned fish are fresh water
species, although some are thought to be the result of land runoff.
Fungi found in the first ulcerated mullet also were fresh water
species.
Although the suspected culprit is Cryptoperidiniopsis, which
has been found in water samples from five areas of the estuary,
there is no test for its presence in fish tissues or fluids. Scientists
have just begun work to determine whether Crypto produces toxins
and Department of Environmental Protection officials say they've
found other similar microorganisms that need to be identified
and tested for toxicity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is testing shellfish
for biotoxins and Texas A&M University is testing fish for
heavy metals and pesticides.
The South Florida Water Management District will continue to
survey the estuary for water grasses and oyster beds, but already
the largest known oyster bed has been found dead. Spokeswoman
Patty Simes also said seagrass densities are down to about 25
percent compared with what was found in a survey completed a year
ago.
The DEP has received more than 400 fish samples representing
22 species from the East Coast. From the gulf coast, there have
been just 11 reports of lesioned fish, DEP officials said Monday
in a statement.
As for human health complaints, the Martin County Health Department
said it has received calls from 25 people reporting 38 ailments.
There will be a public meeting at 10 a.m. Friday in Stuart's
Lyric Theatre to update residents about the state's work on the
problem.
LOAD-DATE: May 19, 1998