As dead fish continue to wash up in Biscayne Bay, there is now an algae bloom.
Water in Biscayne Bay has looked green in recent days because of massive amounts of algae.
“It’s beyond disgusting,” resident David Pobiak told 7News. “It looks like a carpet of sludge. It’s not just on the surface. It goes down into the water column, which is even more disgusting, if you think about it.”
Biscayne Bay is caught in a vicious cycle as the algae bloom and the dead fish contribute to one another.
“What we’re seeing is a cycle of decline and death in the bay that keeps getting worse and worse,” said Dr. Rachel Silverstein, executive director of Miami Waterkeeper, told 7News.
Thousands of fish started to die off in recent weeks because of a shortage of oxygen in the water, according to experts. The rotting fish create the perfect environment for algae to grow. As algae dies and decomposes, it uses up the oxygen in the water. Without oxygen, fish continue to die.
"... Here’s a cycle that perpetuates, and it’s really Biscayne Bay circling the drain, so to speak," said Silverstein.
Water agencies with the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County are pumping oxygen in to the bay to reduce the fish kill, but organizations like Miami Waterkeeper are looking at more proactive solution to stop the cycle.
Water's oxygen levels can be impacted by a variety of factors, including warm weather and pollution. Marine Conservationist Andy Dehart from Frost Science recommends that homeowners reduce their use of fertilizers since it can enter the sewer system and then the bay.