HOUSTON – Beachgoers in the southeast Texas area were in for some unpleasant news this weekend: Thousands of fish washed up dead on Quintana Beach.
According to Brazoria County Parks Departmentthousands of American herring died due to oxygen deficiency in the water, a situation caused by the above normal water temperature conditions.
“Colder water is capable of holding much more oxygen than warmer water, and when the water temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes difficult for these fish to receive enough oxygen to survive. The waters near the coast warm up more quickly than the deeper ones, so if they are trapped in this area when the water begins to warm, the fish will begin to suffer hypoxia, “explained the authorities of Brazoria County, southeast of the Houston metropolitan area.
Quintana Beach is located about 66 miles south of Houston, near the mouth of the Brazos River.
Another reason for the death of the herring has to do with the fact that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been calm recently.
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“One way that oxygen enters the water is through mixing at the surface, where air meets water via wind and waves,” says the Brazoria County Parks Department.
“We have been experiencing very calm seas near the coast for about 3 weeks. There has been very little swell,” the entity added.
Finally, the authorities pointed out that the cloudiness that has been seen in the same period in the area has not allowed the photosynthesis process in a normal way, which contributes to less oxygen in the water.
The teams from the Parks Department carried out work throughout the weekend to clean up the beaches where the dead fish were left and, even, the skeletons of several of them that were consumed by other larger fish after dying.
The authorities indicated that “there is no evidence of chemical leaks in the water,” so this eventuality was ruled out. “Please put those theories aside and do not misinform”said the Brazoria County Parks Department, referring to the causes of the deaths of the fish.
