Hundreds of Thousands of Dead Fish in South Carolina Follows 2 Million Fish Die-Off in Maryland

HERE Saul Relative, Yahoo! Contributor Network Jan 7, 2011

South Carolina state wildlife biologists believe that the hundreds of thousands of menhaden, a bait fish that reaches the relative size of a mouse, is just another massive die-off that can be blamed on the abnormal cold weather conditions being experienced in various parts of the U.S.. South Carolina has experienced record-breaking cold temperatures this year, and, given that menhaden tend to swim in large schools close to the surface, their populations would be more exposed to the colder temperatures.

“Cold water stress” and “winter stress” have been blamed for the unusual numbers of spot found dead in the Chesapeake Bay earlier this week as well. Wildlife officials in Maryland estimate that nearly 2 million of the small (growing to around 7 or 8 inches in length) recreational sport fish were killed.

Both of the Eastern seaboard fish kills follow closely the massive die-off in western Arkansas that saw nearly 100,000 dead fish littering the shores of the Arkansas River for 20 miles. But unlike the South Carolina and Maryland populations, the Arkansas fish, a species called drum, are believed to have died due to disease, according to Arkansas officials. Full report HERE …..