Those venturing to the Kemah and Seabrook areas to mark the long Memorial Day holiday were met by thousands upon thousands of small, dead fish in the water nearby.
The fish — and the stench — were a hot topic as families came to the area over the past few days.
Kemah and Seabrook are the most-heavily affected, according to Heather Biggs, a regional biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Her team has been in the area for days now surveying the scene.
“There is a possibility of an algae bloom, which can be toxic to the fish,” said Biggs. Her department has been performing tests on the water to narrow down what exactly has been killing off the fish for the past few weeks.
A lack of rain is also contributing to the fish kills, as the introduction of rain aids in adding oxygen to the water.
Biggs said the dead fish have been ongoing problem for a few weeks now, but with the increased tourist traffic there’s been much more attention. The fish, called shads or Gulf menhaden, are usually used for bait by fishermen looking for bigger prizes.
A link to the recent oil spill in Galveston Bay wasn’t found.
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