Bye Bye Fishy: Extreme Heat Wave Causes Mass Death of Fish at National Mall

Hundreds of fish in the Constitution Garden's pond at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., died due to the extreme heat that was made worse of allegedly pond's poor design and closed system as construction.

According to WJLA, fish such as bass, bluegill and sunfish died in what officials says as "a case of mass aquatic asphyxiation" blamed on extreme heat wave. Lack of oxygen in the water was possibly a result of stimulating on the growth of algae due to high temperatures.

It didn't help that the scorching temperatures in the capital is still above 94 since Aug. 10. The National Weather Service issued an "excessive heat warning" for a "prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures," Mail Online reports.

Aside from the extreme heat, Mike Litterest, a spokesperson for National Park Services, pointed out that this was not the first time that fish kills happened in the Constitution of Gardens. He admitted that because of the pond's poor design and construction as a closed system, maintaining ecological balance was difficult.

PETA agrees with this, stating that in this same pond, thousands of fish died in 2013 due to the same reasons of heat wave, and, of course, "shallow depth and poor construction."

PETA also reported that due to this recent unfortunate incident, they sent a letter to National Park Service Director, Jonathan B. Jarvis, urging him not to restock the pond.

Currently, the park service is in discussion to add an aeration system and make the pond deeper to prevent fish kill in the pond, according to Litterst.