Cold Weather Fish Kill Video of Tarpon and Snook

On January 9, 2010 Brevard County along with the entire state of Florida experienced some of the coldest temperatures on record. Sleet and snow flurries weren’t an uncommon sight. The extreme temperatures were the ending to a week of cold days and freezing nights. With the weather here to stay for a few more days before things begin to heat back up, we decided to go exploring a little. The fragile ecosystems are not use to cold temperatures especially with the water temperature dipping well below normal. This had many anglers throughout the state concerned, especially with more tropical fish species like snook and tarpon. Redfish and black drum, along with other species, have a much higher tolerance for the cold.

While exploring local ponds we found many different species laying on the banks in the brackish waters. Some fish were already dead while others were barely hanging in there. There were also several fish skeletons further up along the banks that died throughout the week and became food for foraging birds. We saw myan cyclids, common snook, fat snook, swordspine snook, tarpon, ladyfish, and mojarra. Hopefully some of the stunned fish can hang on a few more days until the sun warm air decide to back. Unfortunately it is doubtful, but nature has a way of working things out. We can only hope that most fish found their way to warmer waters and weren’t affected by the freeze.

We contacted the FWC so they can go and take samples and any data they need of the fish.  I don’t think we will ever stop mother nature and nature has a way of working things out, but hopefully we can learn a little more about different species when things like this happen.