Quantcast

Cold water kills thousands of starfish off SC coast - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

Cold water kills thousands of starfish off SC coast

Posted: Updated:
Source: Joshua West Source: Joshua West
Source: Joshua West Source: Joshua West
  • Most Read StoriesMost Read Stories

  • Friday, May 17 2013 7:53 PM EDT2013-05-17 23:53:19 GMT
    runaway teenager
    Authorities say a 15-year-old runaway has been found safe following an investigation by the Moncks Corner Police Department which led to the arrest of two men. Investigators announced Friday evening that Dana Sweazy has been found and is back home with her parents.
  • Friday, May 17 2013 8:01 PM EDT2013-05-18 00:01:35 GMT
    Authorities have arrested two people suspected of an armed robbery in downtown early Friday morning. The Charleston Police Department charged 23-year-old Eric Wigfall and 22-year-old Brittany Robinson
    Authorities have arrested two people suspected of an armed robbery in downtown early Friday morning. The Charleston Police Department charged 23-year-old Eric Wigfall and 22-year-old Brittany Robinson.
  • HOUSTON (KPRC/CNN) – Four hundred pounds, seven hives and 250,000 bees were all inside one home in Houston, until this week. The homeowner said the bees had been living at their address for almost four
    Four hundred pounds, seven hives and 250,000 bees were all inside one home in Houston, until this week.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (AP) - Officials say thousands of dead starfish near Charleston are the first sign of what could be a dangerous winter for marine life along South Carolina's coast.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Thursday that the starfish died because coastal water temperatures had gone down drastically after frigid conditions in early December.

That same chill didn't happen last year until mid-January. Biologists worry that the early cool-down could mean death for shrimp, sea trout and red drum.

State climate experts say computer models show drops to freezing temperatures for at least the next three or four weeks. But fisheries management director Mel Bell says the starfish deaths aren't widespread enough to do serious damage to the area's overall population.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.