Thousands of scallops wash up on Satellite Beach, leading many to ask: 'what's happening?'

Thousands of calico scallops are washing up on the beach in Satellite Beach in clusters. These beach walkers were stopping to throw some of the ones still alive back into the ocean. This cluster was just south of Pelican Beach Park on Friday. Florida wildlife biologists said they are investigating the event but don't know yet what caused so many to wash in. They speculate it could have been wind and waves but there were no other species that washed in, indicating that something that specifically impacts scallops might be going on.

A mile-long stretch of Satellite Beach was strewn with a mystery Friday after hundreds of calico scallops washed up.

State biologists theorize that wind and waves brought them in, while local beachgoers say they have never seen anything like it.

Others are not so sure.

A spokeswoman for the state's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said Friday that the staff had samples and were investigating further.

Kevin Johnson is a professor of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology.

The typical habitat is 30-40 meters deep. I believe something weakened them before they washed up.

The scallops are either alive or dead.

He noted that the soft tissue between their shells was visible.

This does pose a mystery, as if we had an unusual storm, then I would think they were just released. We haven't had that type of storm, and their habitat is usually 30 meters deep.

Lawsuit seems inevitable between the two counties over the Scrub Jay sanctuary.

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Four decades ago, calico scallops collapsed as a going commercial concern, despite being commercially harvested in the past.

It is hard to find big fish anymore, like many of the fish and shellfish that have been overharvested.

If the dead and dying scallops were on the beach, Johnson said he would think someone caught them and dumped them on the beach.

The larger expanse along the beach suggests a natural phenomenon.

There are cisquo scallops on Florida's coast.

If their plight is natural, something has weakened their ability to stay put on the sandy seafloor.

There are possibilities of why they washed up, including disease, temperature extremes, rapid changes in salt in the ocean, and parasites.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, there may have been a crash of the scallops off the coast of Florida in 1991. The parasites in the calico scallop are so bad that they starve to death.

Jim Waymer is an environment reporter. Waymer can be reached at jwaymer@floridatoday.com. You can find him on either Facebook or on the social media site, JWayEnviro.

Local journalists like me need your support. Visit floridatoday.com to subscribe.

The article originally appeared on Florida Today.

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