'Very large' fish kill reported in bay/ Cold believed cause for 2 million dead spot, croakers

[deminks]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/bs-gr-fish-kill-bay-20110104,0,5624655.story

State officials say they are investigating a "very large" fish kill in the Chesapeake Bay, but suspect cold temperatures killed them, rather than any water-quality problems.

An estimated 2 million fish have been reported dead from the Bay Bridge south to Tangier Sound, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment, which investigates fish kills. The dead fish are primarily adult spot, with some juvenile croakers.

Agency spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus said bay water quality appears acceptable, and biologists believe "cold-water stress" the likely cause of the fish kill. Spot are susceptible to colder water, she said, and normally leave the upper bay by now. Water temperatures plummeted in late December to near-record lows for that time of year, about 36 degrees. The average air temperature last month was 32.4 degrees, 4.3 degrees below normal, and reached 16 degrees at its lowest, according to the National Weather Service.

(end snip)

[valerief]

1. Yeah, it's never usually cold in January and they didn't notice when the water got colder. Duh. nt

[ohheckyeah]

2. I'm not buying it.

I don't know what's going on but I'm not buying the cold water explanation.

[Lugnut]

3. Gas fracking chemicals dumped in the Susquehanna River?

Just sayin'.

[jberryhill]

4. The kill is in the lower bay

[reggie the dog]

5. this

the fish kill in a creek in florida, the 2 episodes of birds falling out of the sky dead, a river with a fish kill in arkansas, is this a normal rate of such kill offs???

cold killed these fish, killed the fish in florida, and the birds in arkansas were scared to death by something.....

[Junkdrawer]

6. Cold kills canaries in coal mine. Details at 11. n/t

[Uben]

7. Some fish species are very sensitive to.....

...different conditions. A sudden change in temperature of just a few degrees can trigger a large fish kill. After rains or flooding, muddy water conditions can also trigger a fish kill. Heavy rains and flooding can also cause a rapid temperature change in the water in some bodies, and that can do it. I have seen it happen several times. Even here at our small lake in Texas, I have seen a large kill of gizzard shad. Thousands washed up on banks after a spring rain. Gizzard shad was the only species affected.
Our marine biologist explained that it was probably the particulate matter in the water that was washed in that killed them. (read that as muddy water).

[nc4bo]

8. Spot and croaker = fine eatin' fish. My God what is happening?!

Fish aren't dumb. Fish are not going to sit there and let themselves freeze to death.

:wtf: is going on?