Hundreds of dead fish create unpleasant smell in Little Egg Harbor

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Residents in one Atlantic County community say they are dealing with a fishy issue. Drone video from a News 12 viewer in Little Egg Harbor shows a white layer in the lagoon. The viewer says the white layer is dead fish. Residents say the fish died due to a lack of oxygen in the water. News 12 reached out to the state Department of Environmental Protection to figure out what may have caused all the fish to die. In a statement to News 12, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife said they are aware of the fish mortality in the lagoon and confirmed the lack of oxygen in the water. NJDEP said most of the dead fish will be naturally removed. "Staff determined that poor water quality resulting from warmer temperatures and low dissolved oxygen in the lagoon resulted in the fish mortality in the lagoon," NJDEP said. "Fish & Wildlife staff determined that this was an isolated event, and most of the dead fish will naturally be removed from the lagoon by the tides, or by tide flow." "