In a shocking incident, thousands of dead fish washed up on the Texas Gulf Coast over the weekend, covering the shoreline with rotting carcasses and leading local officials to warn visitors to stay away. Officials at Quintana Beach County Park said waves from the Gulf of Mexico carried thousands of dead fish into Brazoria County, 64 km south of Houston, on Friday.
Why did this happen?
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials said the low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water made it difficult for the fish to breathe. The phenomenon – known as a “fish kill” – is common in summer as temperatures rise, the State Department said.
While no one has linked this specific phenomenon to climate change, researchers have said such kills may become more prevalent as temperatures warm and oxygen levels drop in lakes in the United States and Europe.
Dissolved oxygen levels increase with photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen.
What Texas Parks and Wildlife Officials Say
When there is less sunlight, photosynthesis slows down and stops at night. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said plants and animals in the water continue to consume oxygen at the same rate, reducing the concentration.
Gulf menhaden, which fishermen commonly use for bait, was the species most affected, Texas Parks and Wildlife said. County officials said that as of Sunday evening, Quintana Beach had been cleared of most dead fish, some that machinery could not remove.