Marco Island shorebirds died from red tide, test data suggest

Preliminary data suggest red tide is to blame for the deaths of five of the Marco Island shorebirds found earlier this month.

Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg tested multiple tissues from the dead birds.

The data suggest brevetoxicosis, or red tide poisoning, was a likely factor in the deaths of the five shorebirds, institute spokeswoman Michelle Kerr wrote in an email. 

About 13 birds were sent to the lab, from dozens brought to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's von Arx Wildlife Hospital in Naples in recent weeks. Most of them have died.

So far, biologists have tested only five, but more tests are pending, Kerr said.

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