Fish Kill Hotline
You can report a fish kill, diseased fish, fish with other abnormalities, or discolored water to our Fish Kill Hotline at the link below. When you make your report be sure to tell us:
- The location of the event you are reporting (nearest street address or GPS coordinates are ideal).
- The number of fish involved, and what species they are –if you can identify them.
- Your phone number or email so we can reach you if we have any more questions, or if you would like an update on the status of your report.
You can also contact the Hotline by calling 1-800-636-0511. Each year about 2,000 people submit reports of fish kills and disease. The information we get from these reports helps us learn about causes, patterns, and occurrence of fish kills and disease in Florida. These data also help us coordinate response to fish kill and disease events with our partner agencies across Florida.
About the Fish Kill Hotline
The Fish Kill Hotline is a “citizen science” project that started in 1995. The hotline serves to alert FWC fish health biologists to the potential outbreak of fish disease, abnormal or deformed fish, or the presence of harmful algal blooms such as red tide. Since its creation, the hotline has received over 40,000 reports.
Reports from the hotline are sent to biologists in FWC’s Fish & Wildlife Health (FWH) lab. FWH biologists study disease and mortality in wild fish populations, and reports of dead and diseased fish to the FWC Fish Kill Hotline help us respond appropriately to disease events.
During large fish kill events, FWC researchers collaborate with partner agencies to investigate the cause of the fish kill. The hotline helps FWC scientists determine where to allocate sampling effort to collect the most timely data. These data are then communicated to local agencies and government to help guide response effort and guide policy decisions.
Learn More about common causes of fish kills, in Florida.