Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2011
Authorities in Redondo Beach are investigating what killed millions of fish over the last day at King Harbor Marina.
Fish, including anchovies, sardines and mackerel were floating lifeless in Basins 1 and 2 of the north side of King Harbor Marina.
"There’s basically fish everywhere you go in the harbor," said the harbor's assistant manager, Jason McMullin, who added that there were reports that a red tide may have driven the fish into the harbor in massive numbers where they died because of limited oxygen.
Redondo Beach public works officials were dispatched to the harbor to investigate further but did not have immediate comment.
The fish were attracting huge flocks of seagulls and other birds.
[Updated at 12:15 p.m.: Redondo Beach officials said initial assessments suggest oxygen depletion in the King Harbor basins caused the massive fish die-off.
City Manager Bill Workman said city officials with the help of marine experts would help determine if there was any environmental issue involved. Tests are now being performed on the water as officials begin removing the dead fish, which city officials estimated to be in the millions.
“There are no visible signs of any toxins that might have caused [the die-off] and our early assessment is that this was oxygen depletion,” Workman said. “This is similar to what we experienced five years ago but that was distinctly a red tide event but there’s no discoloration of the water, no associated foaming in the waves, Workman said. “There are no oil slicks or leaking of substances into the water.”
Workman noted that the harbor had been teeming in recent weeks with bait fish that even after their deaths “had no signs of degradation.”]
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