Overview

• The sawfish was euthanized at Mote Marine Laboratory due to deteriorating health after being found swimming erratically.
• Scientists are investigating a series of unusual fish behaviors and deaths in the Keys, with no definitive cause yet identified.
• Environmental factors such as toxins, pathogens, and water conditions have been ruled out in the ongoing investigation.
• This incident underscores the vulnerability of sawfish, a species already critically endangered and confined largely to southwestern Florida.
• Efforts continue to determine the factors behind the abnormal behaviors, with climate change and harmful algal blooms under scrutiny.