FLORIDA : Red Tide Blamed in Deaths of Manatees
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
An unusual outbreak of red tide was to blame for the mysterious deaths of a record number of manatees this spring, scientists said. The finding is good news, since it means that the deaths weren’t caused by an infectious disease that manatees could spread among themselves or carry to other areas. Red tide is a toxic microorganism that accumulates in shellfish. A similar manatee die-off occurred in 1982.
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