County officials reported that thousands of deceased Menhaden fish washed ashore on a beach in the Gulf Coast of Texas on Friday morning.

The discovery of the dead fish occurred at the far end of Bryan Beach, near the mouth of the Brazos River, approximately six miles down the coast from Quintana Park, as stated by Quintana Beach County Park.

The county officials attributed the mass fish deaths to warmer water, which is unable to hold as much oxygen as cooler water, Fox News reports.

According to a Facebook post from Quintana Beach County Park, when the water temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, Menhaden fish struggle to obtain sufficient oxygen for their survival.

Shallow waters tend to warm up more rapidly, and if Menhaden fish become trapped, they will experience hypoxia, a condition characterized by insufficient oxygen levels to maintain their biological equilibrium.

Consequently, the fish may display erratic behavior, further depleting their oxygen supply.

Cloudy skies also contributed to the lack of oxygen in the water, as they obstructed the process of photosynthesis by microscopic phytoplankton or macroalgae.

Written by staff