Fish kill continues, and questions remain

[ensho]

http://www.newbernsj.com/news/kill-48135-river-neuse.html


Eleven days into the largest Neuse River fish kill in more than a decade, the only thing clear about what, exactly, is causing millions of menhaden to die and just how many are dead is this: Some answers may become part of a $200,000 mystery.

That is the high-end estimated cost of six Neuse River monitors that were all used in this region — and all became casualties of state budget cuts. And that figure does not include the budget cuts that shrank the Neuse River Rapid Response Team in half, from four members to two.

Still, state science does provide an explanation for what is happening on the river. Officials associated with the N.C. Division of Water Quality say there are several factors contributing to the kill: warm, still waters, a “wedge” of salt, and large schools of menhaden gathering to return to the ocean.

But having a full staff and its usual monitoring equipment would give the state team “another piece of the puzzle,” said biologist and team member Maverick Raber. And that may also help bridge a huge numbers gap.

The state can confirm 8.4 million dead fish, a number derived from the time the smaller team has been able to spend on the water. The Division of Water Quality is no longer offering kill estimates or extrapolations of any kind, as officials have said any other figure cannot be backed up by their scientists.
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that's a hell of a lot of fish

and they are still dying

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Where's the nearest commercial pig farm?

That might answer some questions.

[ensho]

2. bingo

nt