Fish Of Louisiana Views

• General Goods

A number of large fish kills in Louisiana have left many wondering whether they were a result of the Gulf oil disaster. Thousands of dead Menhaden in canals and large bull redfish washing up on beaches have locals pointing fingers at BP. But authorities at both NOAA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries have yet to document that any fish have been killed as a direct result of the oil.

Some locals in Louisiana are claiming there have been an abnormally high number of dead fish in local waterways since the start of the Gulf oil disaster. In late-May, New Orleans photographer Jerry Moran ventured down to the small fishing community of Grand Isle, La., after he heard reports of a large fish kill. Following the “stench of death” Moran eventually wandered over a small levee and into a patch of grass where he found “mounds of dead fish.” The discovery included dozens of large bull redfish and a decapitated dolphin.

Fish kills are not uncommon in the waterways of Louisiana and some parts of the Gulf Coast. Randy Pausino, assistant secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said they are typically caused by hypoxic (oxygen depleted) water and Louisiana is rife with these so called “dead zones” where low oxygen levels can cause widespread death. An especially hot summer, combined with high river levels and a surge of freshwater into the marshes through diversions could partially explain what may seem like more fish kills than normal this year.

In mid-September 2010, a massive fish kill was reported in Louisiana amid fears it was caused by the catastrophic BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico in April.1 After a thorough investigation, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries concluded the fish kill was caused by low oxygen levels from low tides and high water temperatures.1 However, note what happened to the fish. They all ended up floating on top of the water in a vast mat of sea creatures (figure 1). This colossal kill can help clear up some basic misconceptions about the formation of fossils, something that has far reaching implications.

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