DEM investigating after thousands of dead fish wash ashore in Barrington

Courtesy: RI DEM

Posted: Aug 14, 2020 / 05:30 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 14, 2020 / 05:30 PM EDT

BARRINGTON, R.I. (WPRI) ─ Environmental officials are investigating after thousands of fish recently turned up dead on a Barrington beach.

Mike Healey, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), said the Division of Marine Fisheries received reports Friday of two fish kills, one in Barrington and another across the bay in Warwick.

MORE: @RhodeIslandDEM now confirms fish kills in West Barrington and Warwick. An inspection of Bullocks Cove/Allen’s Cove found around 5,000 dead fish in a 50-yard stretch on the beach. Marine Fisheries is on the way to inspect Warwick now. https://t.co/YViKCL4cjk pic.twitter.com/X7LN3D2e5A
— Kim Kalunian (@KimKalunian) August 14, 2020

Healey said while Marine Fisheries has not inspected the fish kill in Warwick just yet, they did find roughly 5,000 dead fish along the 50-yard stretch of Bullocks and Allen’s Coves.

The cause of the fish kill remains under investigation, however, Healey said the DEM strongly believes the die-offs were caused by low levels of dissolved oxygen in the bay due to the recent heat wave.