After a prolonged absence, the dead fish are back. Authorities say that millions of dead fish are washing up at King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach, California.
It’s been several months since we’ve seen any widespread reports of those mass animal deaths, but now the fish are washing up dead on the West Coast.
Millions of dead fish, including anchovies and sardines, are now dead and floating along the north side of King Harbor Marina.
“There’s basically fish everywhere you go in the harbor,” said Jason McMullin, the harbor’s assistant manager.
Redondo Beach officials report that their initial assessments indicate that oxygen depletion in the King Harbor basins caused the massive fish deaths.
City Manager Bill Workman says officials will try to determine whether or not there was any environmental issue to blame. Tests are now being performed on the water as officials attempt to remove the dead fish.
“There are no visible signs of any toxins that might have caused [the die-off] and our early assessment is that this was oxygen depletion,” Workman said. “This is similar to what we experienced five years ago but that was distinctly a red tide event but there’s no discoloration of the water, no associated foaming in the waves,” Workman said. “There are no oil slicks or leaking of substances into the water.”
“It looks like what happens to goldfish when you don’t change the water in the tank, mouth open and belly up,” Workman said.
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