Thousands of dead fish washed up on Texas beaches due to a “low dissolved oxygen event,” essentially suffocating the fish.
What happened: Warm, shallow water and calm seas deprived the fish of oxygen.
* Warm water holds less oxygen; shallow water heats up faster.
* Few waves and winds did not help redistribute oxygen in the water.
* Cloudy skies reduced oxygen production by phytoplankton through photosynthesis.
Why it’s not all bad: Most of the dead fish were Gulf menhaden, a species that provides nutrients for predators and filters impurities in the water.
* The die-off creates a “huge nutrient pulse into our environment,” according to Katie St. Clair, manager of the sea life facility at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Climate change factor: Oceans are heating up due to human-caused climate change, potentially leading to more such fish kill events.
* “Water can only hold so much oxygen at certain temperatures, and certainly we know that seawater temperatures are rising,” said Clair.
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.
Leave a Reply