The large fish kill is being seen in several parts of the Bay, including Oakland’s Lake Merritt, whose waters have turned red and brown in recent weeks because of algae blooms.
Local environmentalists identified the microscopic algae – Heterostigma akashiwa – as the cause of the fish kill.
Besides small fish, like smelt, KQED reports that the carcasses of sharks, rays and striped bass have also been spotted in San Mateo and Marin counties. At least 10-thousand fish – and perhaps hundreds of thousands – are estimated to have died as a result of the “red tide.”
The San Francisco Baykeeper said that while toxic, the algae isn’t considered harmful to humans and has contributed to the largest such fish kill in almost 20 years.
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued an advisory for people to avoid water activities, such swimming and kayaking, until the algae bloom subsides.
