Massive Fish Kill Off Little Egg Harbor Chokes Lagoon Areas In Great Bay

LITTLE EGG HARBOR - Up to 20,000 juvenile Atlantic Menhaden died in several lagoons near Osborn Island in Great Bay, probably from low concentrations of oxygen, according to an app.com report.

It was the second time in less than a week that so many menhaden died all at once. A similar amount died in Keansburg last Tuesday.

State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Bob Considine said the fish deaths probably occurred because they could have been chased by a predator. The large amount of fish in a small area of water depleted the oxygen concentration, he said.

The recent fish kills are the result of warm ocean water temperatures and a very high number of Atlantic Menhaden, Considine said.

"Our Bureau of Marine Fisheries estimates that the number of this bait fish has not been this high in more than a decade off the Atlantic coast," Considine said. "DEP continues to monitor the situation both on the ground and in the air with our coastal surveillance flights. If there are any other reports to large-scale fish wash-ups, we’ll be responding as is normal course."

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