July 23, 2009, 6:39 pm
Thousands of fish popped up dead this week in Florida Bay -- possible victims of what might be described as a marine version of heat stroke.
The fish kill was unusually large for the waters of Everglades National Park, with floating redfish, snook and other species covering nearly 20 acres in between Buoy Key and the coast, said Dave Hallac, the park's chief of biological resources.
``These things happen,'' Hallac said.
``It's just the size of it that was concerning.''
Some fish kills happen almost every year in Florida Bay. Because much of the bay is shallow, with vast flats only a few feet deep, water conditions can change rapidly with the weather.
