Experts recently pointed to an unprecedented "red tide" algae bloom as the possible reason thousands of dead fish and other marine life carcasses are washing shore in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A Phys.org report said that this occurrence has led to a foul smell. This same report also said that abnormal numbers of dead striped bass, crabs, white sturgeon, and bat rays, among others, have been spotted across the Bay Area over the past week, according to the officials, notably at Oakland's Lake Merritt.

The beginning of the fish die-off could date back even further, as the hazardous algae bloom has been spreading since the latter part of July.

The carcasses worry environmental scientists, marking a devastating loss to marine life. Experts also fear that effects could get worse over the expected heatwave over the weekend and could lead to hazardous algae bloom growing even more.

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Dead Fish in San Francisco Bay Area
(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Tens of thousands of dead fish, including sharks, sturgeon, and large striped bass, are showing up on the shores of the San Francisco Bay and its waterways as a widespread algal bloom continues more than a month after first being detected.


The Start of Harmful Algae Bloom in the Bay Area

A similar Fox News report specified that according to the executive officer of San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Eileen White, such a hazardous algae bloom was initially discovered in the Alameda Estuary. She added, that the bloom has been spreading since July.

Most algae bloom end following around a week. However, a triple-digit heat wave prediction for the upcoming Labor Day weekend may lead the bloom in the Bay Area to grow, explained White, adding that they do not know when it is ending.

White also noted that treating the water for nutrients would cost billions of dollars. Essentially, water districts are presently funding studies to understand the impacts of nutrients that have been present in the water since people settled in the area, she elaborated. The goal here, she continued, is to make the proper regulations based on sound science.

Over 10,000 Fish Dead

According to Jon Rosenfield, the fishery ecologist at the environmental nonprofit San Francisco Baykeeper, there's no other way to know how many fish have died so far.

He noted that people see only a portion of the affected fish wash up dead on the Bay's shores.

Self-described citizen scientist Damon Tighe has been one of those monitoring the fish kill in Lake Merritt. Last week, Tighe posted a map to show locations around the lake where fish had died as part of a project for naturalists and biologists, among others, to collect sightings on iNaturalist, a social network from the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society used to share biodiversity observations globally.

Tighe has approximated that over 10,000 fish have died since late August, USA Today reported.  He said he had never seen such an occurrence this bad. "Everything is dying," including crabs, polychaete, flounders, gobies, and shrimp.

A report about the thousands of dead fish found in the San Francisco Bay Area is shown on ABC7 News Bay Area's YouTube Video below:

 

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