Why Are Tons of Dead Fish Washing Ashore on Texas Gulf Coast?

If you're planning a vacation on the Gulf Coast of Texas this week you may want to take notice that hundreds of thousands of dead fish are washing up on shore.

Bryan Beach in Freeport, Texas is the beach area being affected according to Quintana Beach County Park officials. No this is not a biblical prophecy but is being caused by a lack of oxygen in the water that has warmed more than 70 degrees. Colder water helps the fish breathe easier but warmer water has the opposite effect especially if there are not many waves that help produce more oxygen which has been the case for over three weeks. The lack of sunshine also produces more oxygen and the prolonged cloudy days have added to the problem as well, according to their Facebook page.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, the fish washing ashore are the Gulf menhaden fish. A team of biologists was sent out to the region to investigate the dead fish that is normally caused by natural events and pollution. This strange occurrence seems to happen about this time each year when the water temperature rises in the ocean. As a matter of fact, Park officials have called it a "low dissolved oxygen event."

Cleanup crews have been dispatched to the area and are beginning the cleanup which could last for a couple of days. Visitors to Bryan Beach should stay away until the cleanup is complete. Walking on a beach with dead fish is not safe not to mention the stench smell in the air.