One of hundreds of fish from the Gulf of Mexico killed by a red tide that washed up on Siesta Beach at Sarasota, Florida, USA.

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One of hundreds of dead fish from the Gulf of Mexico killed by a red tide is washed up on sandy Siesta Beach at Sarasota, Florida, USA. A red tide is a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic alga that produces toxic chemicals harmful to both marine life and humans. In addition to its unpleasant smell, a red tide can create airborne toxins that cause serious illness in people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions, such as emphysema or asthma. Red tides have been documented along Florida's Gulf coast as far back as the 1840s; this fish kill was in 2013.

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Size: 2448px × 3264px
Location: Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida, USA
Photo credit: © Michele and Tom Grimm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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