Reports of fish kill in Atlantic Beach pond cause concerns for neighbors

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Right now dozens of dead fish line the shore and float upside down in a pond in the Wonderwood area. Neighbors said they saw some fish gasping for air earlier this week.

It looks bad. It smells bad.

The private pond has dozens of dead fish.

And people living nearby don’t like it.

“This is crazy, never seen anything like this. Don’t even want to look at it because it’s just really no words for it,” said Jaime Fernandez, a neighbor.

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“This is terrible. I can smell it right now,” said Jay Norum.

Fernandez said Wednesday he could see the fish trying to get air.

“You could see them puckering up trying to breathe,” he said.

Hours later, his neighborhood pond at the Oaks of Atlantic Beach was full of dead fish.

“It’s really sad,” said Fernandez.

Action News Jax reached out to the FWC and was told it received several calls about a fish kill. A spokesperson said more than likely they died because of low dissolved oxygen.

The FWC said it’s very common after a storm rolls through, because of the change in the water.

The FWC said it’s common in small ponds and lakes.

“You could smell it today, tomorrow that smell is going to intensify,” said Fernandez.

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The FWC said it can’t investigate more because it’s a private pond. It’s up to the owner to make that decision. As for the neighborhood pond, Fernandez isn’t optimistic about its future.

“This is the life of the pond, the life is dead,” he said.

Action News Jax did reach out to the leasing office to see if it had any plans to remove the fish, and we were told it had no comment. A spokesperson with the St. Johns Riverkeeper said it’s recommended to remove the fish, especially if it smells, and it could also add algae.

Cox Media Group