Fish Kill Stinks Up Peconic River

The area of the Route 105 bridge in Riverhead is being battered with an awful smell this week after thousands—if not tens of thousands—of dead bunker have washed ashore the Peconic River and western Peconic Bay.

The fish kill is being attributed to low dissolved oxygen levels in the Peconic River. Oxygen levels may be low due to algal blooms, or just the sheer concentration of fish in shallow waters, according to experts.

No matter the cause, the result is commuters rolling up their windows and buying more air fresheners.

A number of dead fish have been hauled away already, and the die off appears to have ceased.