Seagrass suffers as red tide kills fish faster than crews can remove them

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As the race to remove hundreds of tons of dead fish from Tampa Bay continues, there is rising concern about the health of seagrass as red tide devastates the waterway.

Seagrass is vital for life in the bay and provides stabilization for the bay’s floor.

It was just beginning to rebound after red tide in 2018. Now it’s being devastated by a new bloom of algae blocking sunlight which keeps the grass alive. 

Peter Clark with Tampa Bay Watch says, so far, there’s been another 18% loss in seagrass, and there’s not much that can be done, other than removing the dead fish.

According to St. Petersburg city officials, more than 1,200 tons of dead fish have been removed from waters around the city.