June 26, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Crews Continuing Cleanup of Thousands of Dead Fish

 

Marina Del Rey
Thousands of dead fish surfaced in Marina Del Rey last weekend. (Thinkstock)

Crews continued working to remove thousands of dead fish from a section of Marina del Rey, saying other marine life will be endangered as long as the decaying fish remain in the water, it was reported May 21.

The fish — including anchovies, rays, eels, sharks and other species — started floating belly-up Saturday in the marina’s A Basin near Bora Bora Way.

Brian Meux, a marine programs manager at Los Angeles Waterkeeper, said he believes a large school of fish swam into the marina when the tide was dropping amid warm temperatures, leading to a sharp drop in levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.

“What that’s like (is) if we are all here at a big football game and someone just threw a big plastic bag over the whole thing and just trapped us in, we’d all pretty much suffocate too,” Meux said.

Any fish unable to get out of the area died quickly, he said.

Now those thousands of fish are decaying, keeping oxygen levels low and releasing chemicals like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia into the water.

“New fish that come in could potentially die if they don’t just turn around immediately,” Meux said, adding there is also concern for birds that are feeding on the rotting fish.

“We’re trying to keep the fish away from the birds as well,” he said.

Volunteers wearing face masks to blunt the odor have been out in force with nets, scooping up the decaying mess for the past two days. Before that, employees of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Beaches and Harbors cleared out about 90 percent of the dead fish.

Oxygen readings on samples taken by L.A. Waterkeeper only measured 0.9 parts per million, according to Meux. A normal range is 5 or 6 parts per million.

“The key really is to get all the biomass out as soon as possible,” Meux said. “Let’s get these oxygen levels back so you don’t continue that vicious cycle of marine life coming in and dying.”

The cleanup is expected to continue through the end of this week, according to Carol Baker, a spokeswoman for Dept. of Beaches and Harbors.

“It is going to take awhile,” Baker said. “This was a massive die off.”

Related Posts

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...

Overnight Traffic Stops in Culver City Lead to Felony Arrests, DUI Bust

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Culver City Police Nab Suspects Wanted for Burglary and Identity Theft Culver City police officers arrested three individuals in separate...

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...