Croaker Fish Wash Up After Massive Die-Off

More than a million dead Atlantic croaker fish have washed up on the state’s beaches, victims of what scientists think was a sudden shift in the ocean temperature.

They say the fish may have been killed by a natural phenomenon called an “upwelling,” a sudden surge of cold water from the bottom of the ocean. When the water reached the area where croakers live -- depths of 60 to 90 feet -- the temperature dropped from about 60 degrees to about 40, the scientists said. The cause of the upwelling was unknown.

Residents of Ocean City described a tide of dead croakers covering their beach.