Dead fish and other marine life are visible on the beaches in St. Petersburg victim of the latest Red Tide.
Officials say more than 1200 tons (1080 metric tonnes) of dead fish and other marine life have been scooped up in recent weeks along the St. Petersburg shoreline. There's no immediate sign of relief and some experts say the problem could linger for months.
Red tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has been observed in the Gulf of Mexico since the days of the Spanish explorers but can be exacerbated by nutrients such as nitrogen. The presence of the toxin-producing microorganisms of this magnitude in Tampa Bay is unusual, with some samples showing concentrations 10 to 17 times above what is considered a high level.