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Cause Of NJ Fish Die-Off Under Investigation
State environmental officials are trying to determine the cause of a massive fish die-off along the Delaware Bay in southern New Jersey
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The wash-up of small menhaden, most about 4 inches long, was discovered Wednesday morning.
It occurred on about eight miles of shoreline from Kimbles Beach in Middle Township south to the Villas in Lower Township, just north of Cape May.
Officials say there's no indication pollution or a toxic algae bloom caused the die-off, and they don't believe it resulted from a broken commercial fishing
They say low oxygen levels in the unusually warm water could be a factor. Schools of menhaden, perhaps driven by predators, may have massed close to shore and rapidly depleted the available oxygen.
August 12, 2010