At the Aquatic Research Center at the University of California, Davis, about 21,000 fish died from chlorine exposure in what the university described as a “catastrophic failure” that shocked researchers and slowed research significantly.
In a statement, the university said it would investigate “where our process failed” and launch an independent external review.
“We share the grief of the faculty, staff and students involved in the care, research and conservation of these animals,” said UC Davis.
Located on a five-acre site, the Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture is home to research programs focused on sustaining California’s aquatic species and supporting sustainable aquaculture production, according to the center’s website. Fish were found dead Tuesday in several tanks in the
University officials said Sunday that the source of the chlorine is the chlorination system used to decontaminate water with fish pathogens, said Laurie Brignolo, executive director of the Research and Education Animal Care Program at the University of California, Davis. said he was thinking.
If that really was the source, university officials weren’t sure how the chlorine got into the fish tank. may have moved in the wrong direction, Brignolo said.
The University of California, Davis said it was committed to “understanding what happened and making changes to the facility” to prevent such failures from happening again.
The university said many of its other facilities for aquatic research “do not have the same potential for chlorine exposure, but there are some,” and assess the risks.
Brignolo said the center, which was built in the 1950s, had never seen such an “overall loss of fish.” Workers complete “daily quality assurance of the pump and the water that passes through it,” she added. About 21,000 fish had been checked the night before the loss, she said.
But overnight enough chlorine got into the tank to be on par with tap water. This is a dangerous amount for fish. Do not put fish in water that contains even a small amount of chemicals.
Chlorine damaged the sensitive gills and skin of the Center’s various fish species, including endangered green and white sturgeon and chinook salmon.
Within 12 hours, almost all fish were dead.
Brignolo said he received an email from the center’s manager on Tuesday morning. Brignolo said his manager saw thousands of dead fish, calling it a “tragic loss.”
Center workers traveled tank by tank and tallied losses. Only about 100 fish survived.
“It’s absolutely devastating,” she said.
Some researchers and graduate students have used fish to study the effects of disease and environmental changes on specific species.
A massive loss of fish at the center wouldn’t completely stop researchers’ work, but it would set them back significantly for years, Brignolo said.
The loss has taken an emotional toll on those who work there as well. The university has set up a grief management program for affected students and staff.
“Their role is to provide a safe environment for some of the fish being used for research purposes,” Brignolo said. “And it’s an absolute sense of failure.”