Amazing picture of thousands of dead starfish washed up on Kent beach

[Joanne98]

For five miles they stretched along the beaches, a gruesome line of dead starfish.

Fishermen and bird-watchers at Pegwell Bay near Sandwich, Kent, discovered a "carpet" of thousands of the creatures lying on the sand just above the water line.

And on the beach at nearby Sandwich Bay, thousands more were photographed by Tony Flashman.



The dead starfish stretched as far as you could see in both directions," said Mr Flashman, of Kingsdown, Deal.

Environment Agency officials are investigating what could have killed the starfish, which had been feeding on mussel beds.

They do not believe the deaths were linked to the recent storms because they were first reported to them last week.

They have also ruled out pollution or anything to do with climate change as the cause.

The agency said officials would investigate if the starfish were discarded by fishermen after the mussel beds were dredged.

A spokesman said: "Starfish congregate in vast numbers in some areas and feed on shellfish, so if the seabed was dredged then the starfish would inevitably have been caught in huge numbers."

Another theory is that the starfish had run out of mussels to eat and had moved into shallow water in the search for food.

The starfish bodies are not harmful and will probably be eaten by seagulls, the agency said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=530370&in_page_id=1770

[Gato Moteado]

1. that's not normal

scary

[Robbien]

2. Funny how quickly global warming and pollution were denied

The fish had just run out of food and died. Natural causes.

Of course the fact that there may not have been any food for starfish to eat has nothing to do with global warming and/or pollution. Of course not.

[Sal Minella]

7. Or maybe they were all just really, really, really old...

[Lorien]

8. or irresponsible fishing methods

it's a fairly sure bet that human activity is in some way to blame.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Nuclear waste container ruptured?

Pure speculation -- but always occurs to me when shit like this happens.

[malaise]

4. Wow! n/t

[KamaAina]

5. Quick! Poppy Bush better get over there right away!

so he can throw a few of 'em back in. Remember that pointless parable of his? "Does it really make any difference?" "It does to this one." :eyes:

[seriousstan]

6. Seagulls have to eat same as starfish.

Now the mussel beds will rebuild and the starfish population will bloom again only to die and start all over.