Thousands Of Dead Fish Wash Up On Beach On Texas Gulf Coast
NDTV
Marine experts and local officials said that warm water, which can't hold as much oxygen as cooler water, was responsible for the death of so many fish.
Thousands of dead fish washed ashore a beach in the Gulf Coast beach in Texas last week, Fox News reported. The Menhaden fish were found dead at the far end of Bryan Beach, the outlet said, quoting local officials. When asked about the reason for the death of so many fish, the officials said warm water, which can't hold as much oxygen as cooler water, is to be blamed. When water rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes hard for the Menhaden to receive enough oxygen to survive, Quintana Beach County Park said on Facebook.
Dense schools of menhaden are found from Canada to South America. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, they swim with mouths agape and gill openings widespread to strain out plankton.
"Shallow waters warm more quickly than deeper, so if a school of menhaden are trapped in the shallows as the water begins to heat, the fish will start to suffer from hypoxia," officials further said in the Facebook post.
