According to officials, beach crews spent the weekend clearing a substantial quantity of deceased fish along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The unexpected phenomenon began on Friday when a large number of fish started washing ashore due to what Quintana Beach County Park described as “a low dissolved oxygen event” in a Facebook post. The influx of fish continued throughout Saturday, but by Sunday morning, it seemed that the final remnants had made their way onto the beach.
Park authorities noted that the most recent fish carcasses had deteriorated to the extent that they resembled fragmented skeletons. The majority of the deceased fish were identified as Gulf menhaden.
As the fish kill persisted, officials issued advisories urging people to refrain from swimming in the area due to elevated bacterial levels and the potential danger posed by the sharp fins of the deceased fish. Water samples collected from the affected region indicated a significant depletion of dissolved oxygen, Quintana Beach County Park said. No evidence suggesting a chemical release has been found.
