Scientists say high heat was one reason why thousands of menhaden along with other fish and 126 horseshoe crabs died. At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Joe Wood says that conditions on land were so hot that when it finally rained, warm water rushed into rivers and streams.
“If you’ve ever been out in July, some of these hot days we’ve had lately, and after a rain event you see steam coming off of the parking lot, water that rolls of pavement into rivers and streams can assimilate a lot of heat.”
The lack of rain promoted algae growth, and water held less of the oxygen fish need to survive. Then, when storms came, they washed pollutants into waterways…