GALVESTON ISLAND, TEXAS – Dead fish that washed up in Galveston as a result of a fish kill along the Texas Gulf Coast will be cleared from the island’s beaches by 7 p.m. today.
Galveston Park Board crews have been working since 10 p.m. Sunday to remove the dead fish, which began washing ashore over the weekend.
Texas Parks & Wildlife is reporting the cause of the fish kill to be low to moderate concentrations of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis, commonly called red tide. The bloom is suspected to have caused fish kills in a number of locations along the upper Texas coast, including Crystal Beach, Galveston, Surfside, Sargent’s and Matagorda beaches. For details, click here <http://distribution.mymediainfo.com/lists/lt.php?id=fB8JDlBRAVUDDU8AWgVUAk9WUF0BBAA%3D> .
As of 3:30 p.m. today, no recreational water advisories were issued for beaches in the Galveston area from the local Texas Beach Watch <http://distribution.mymediainfo.com/lists/lt.php?id=fB8JDlBRAVUMBE8AWgVUAk9WUF0BBAA%3D> program or from state health organizations. Beachgoers are welcome to visit Galveston beaches, but should be aware of potential minor allergy-like symptoms caused by red tide, said Meridith Byrd, the harmful algal bloom biologist for Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Informational brochures about red tide are available to the public at the Galveston Island Visitor Center located behind Ashton Villa at 2328 Broadway Street, Galveston, Texas, 77550. For more information on red tide, please visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us <http://distribution.mymediainfo.com/lists/lt.php?id=fB8JDlBRAVUMBU8AWgVUAk9WUF0BBAA%3D> .
Media inquiries about beach cleaning or tourism: Please contact Leah Cast, public relations manager for the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, at 409-682-3029 or lcast@galvestoncvb.com
About Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country. For more information on Galveston Island visit www.galveston.com <http://distribution.mymediainfo.com/lists/lt.php?id=fB8JDlBRAVUMBk8AWgVUAk9WUF0BBAA%3D> or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.