Dozens of calls per week to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish Kill Hotline illustrate some Floridians (and likely snowbirds) are worried there is something inexplicably wrong with fish populations. To be fair, some callers are just wondering what the cause of a local fish kill is. Each summer, anglers can expect fish kills in some part of Florida, ranging from just a few fish to thousands.

Scientists are well-studied in the muggy occurrence. To put it bluntly, low dissolved oxygen levels cause fish to suffocate. Low oxygen levels are the product of a variety of factors. Cloud-covered days prevent microscopic plants from producing the oxygen fish function on. Sunlight does not penetrate cloud cover and rain turns the waters cloudy, both hindering the sun from reaching the microscopic flora. Bacteria decompose rain-washed matter strewn into Florida’s waterways taking more of the valuable oxygen.

Although fish kills can be common, don’t expect a fish kill to happen more than once in your waters each summer. In fact, most areas only experience fish kills every couple of years. FWC biologists say most fish populations remain in healthy condition even after a fish kill occurs in a lake or estuary, though it’s still important for fish kills to be reported so specialists can be sure the affected area is indeed healthy. To reach the Fish Kill Hotline, call 1-800-636-0511.