Tens of thousands of dead fish washed up on a Texas beach
Tens of thousands of dead fish washed up on the Texas coast over the weekend, littering the beach with rotting fish, prompting authorities to ask visitors to keep their distance.
Swells from the Gulf of Mexico dumped the fish “by the thousands” Friday in Brazoria County, which is more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Houston, Quintana Beach County officials said.
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Low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water made it difficult for the fish to breathe, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said.. The phenomenon is common during the summer, when temperatures rise, the agency said.
Although no one has linked this specific incident to climate change, researchers have said such events could become more frequent as temperatures rise and oxygen levels drop in lakes in the United States and Europe.
Dissolved oxygen levels in water are increased by photosynthesis, the process through which plants transform sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen.. When there is less sunlight, photosynthesis decreases and at night it stops. But plants and animals in the water continue to consume oxygen at the same rate, reducing its concentration, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said.
Scaled menhaden, which fishermen often use as bait, were the most affected species, the department added.
By Sunday night, most of the dead fish had been removed from Quintana Beach, except for a few that could not be removed by machinery, county officials said.
PA