These are the thousands of dead fish found along the banks of an Argentine river with dwindling water levels.
The shocking pictures were taken along the Salado River across various locations in the Argentine province of Santa Fe and were shared on social media on 3rd December.
The dead fish were reported in the cities of Esperanza, Recreo, and Santo Tome where locals have been told to avoid bathing in the water or consuming the fish.
The images show hundreds of fish washed up on the edge of the riverbank.
The dead fish belonged to several species but were predominantly sea catfish, palometa, and sabalo.
National Scientific and Technical Research Council researcher Dr Luis Espindola told the newspaper El Litoral that a possible cause is the river’s declining water levels which would also reduce the oxygen in the water. (https://bit.ly/33JFpb0)
Another theory is that the fish were poisoned after the blooming of toxic organisms called cyanobacteria.
The fish may also have been poisoned by toxins washed into the rivers from nearby towns and cities after recent rain storms in the area.
However, experts are still conducting tests to get to the bottom of the incident.
One thing that worries scientists is that the species found dead were very resistant fish which makes them believe there could be a serious problem with the water.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.