10,000 dead fish in Bird and Gunpowder Rivers caused by toxic algae blooms

The Maryland Department of the Environment reports that approximately 10,000 fish have been found dead in the Bird River and Gunpowder River in the last two weeks.

The deaths were determined to be caused by a toxin that is released from the Karlodinium venifecum species of algae. The first dead fish were spotted on December 19, when the MDE investigation officially began. Since then, residents have reported multiple sites of belly-up fish along local waterways. Images of the dying fish circulated on social media as people living by the water expressed concerns about the water’s health and their personal safety.

Nine species of fish were affected, including channel catfish, largemouth bass, and yellow perch. The MDE said the increased algae bloom could have been caused by an unusually warm autumn season and low levels of precipitation during the year. Blooms of this strain of algae are usually reported during the late spring or summer months. According to the report, chemical pollution did not play a part in the fish deaths and the algae is not toxic to humans or other animals.

In November of 2015, there was a massive fish kill, approximately 200,000 fish were reported dead across 16 miles of shoreline, including the upper Middle River area, that was also determined to be caused by toxic algae blooms. After studying the dead fishes’ organ tissues, the MDE determined that the dangerous levels of toxins killed the fish by inhibiting oxygen uptake through their gills. It was the largest fish kill in the state that year.

Read more: http://www.avenuenews.com/news/local/article_8a025136-d1b9-5028-88b1-832fdbd70bdc.html