In Louisiana, a Huge 'Fish Kill'

Residents fear it's related to oil spill, experts not sure
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 15, 2010 10:35 AM CDT

Near Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish, there lies what looks like a gravel road. It's not: It's a waterway clogged with hundreds of thousands of dead fish, crabs, stingrays, and eel—so many that it appears solid. A dead whale was also found in the area, WWL-TV reports. "Fish kills" are fairly common along the Gulf Coast, Yahoo! News reports, often caused by sudden oxygen depletion. This one, however, is different: Usually, only one species of marine life is involved.

Though an official cause has yet to be determined and some experts cited the typical reason (low oxygen levels), some residents suspect it's another BP oil spill side effect—the fish kill was found in an area hit hard by the spill. "Here we are, trying to get our fishing back, trying to get our seafood back and with these kind of fish kills, (it's) going to have a lasting effect, if we don't do something about it," says the Plaquemines Parish president. For more on Plaquemines, click here.
(More fish kill stories.)

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