A fish kill is an instance when large numbers of fish die suddenly within a body of water.

What usually causes a fish kill?

Frequent causes include oxygen depletion, excessive algal blooms, and high water temperatures. Algae overgrowth can deplete oxygen when the algae die, sink, and decompose.

Why do fish kills rise in warm months?

Warmer water holds less oxygen, which makes it harder for fish to breathe. Fish kills due to high temperatures most often occur in July and August.

How can a visitor report a fish kill or check beach status?

Visitors can report a fish kill through the SCDES ReportIt tool. The SCDES beach monitoring page lists active short-term swim advisories.

Fish kills

Fish kills at the beach

SCDES defines fish kills as sudden deaths of large numbers of fish within a body of water. Report fish kills at the beach through the SCDES ReportIt tool.

Sources checked August 23, 2026: SCDES fish kill definition (opens in a new tab) and SCDES ReportIt (opens in a new tab) .

Three choices

Understand common causes

SCDES lists oxygen depletion, excessive algal blooms, and high water temperatures as the most frequent causes. NOAA says algae overgrowth can deplete oxygen when algae die, sink, and decompose. FWC says fish breathe oxygen dissolved in water and warmer water holds less oxygen. FWC says high-temperature fish kills occur most often in July and August.

Report a fish kill

Use the SCDES ReportIt tool to report a fish kill.

Check beach monitoring status

Use the SCDES beach monitoring page to check beach monitoring advisories.

What this page covers

This record gives general fish kill information. The July and August timing comes from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It reports no Surfside Beach fish kill, current event, cause diagnosis, water safety claim, consumption claim, treatment step, or phone number.

Source: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services fish kills (opens in a new tab) · Source: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services ReportIt (opens in a new tab) · Source: NOAA Ocean Service hypoxia (opens in a new tab) · Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission fish kill causes (opens in a new tab) · Source: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services beach monitoring (opens in a new tab)

Fish kill questions

What is a fish kill?: A fish kill is an instance when large numbers of fish die suddenly within a body of water.; Source: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services fish kills (opens in a new tab)
What usually causes a fish kill?: Frequent causes include oxygen depletion, excessive algal blooms, and high water temperatures. Algae overgrowth can deplete oxygen when the algae die, sink, and decompose.; Sources: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services fish kills (opens in a new tab), NOAA Ocean Service hypoxia (opens in a new tab)
Why do fish kills rise in warm months?: Warmer water holds less oxygen, which makes it harder for fish to breathe. Fish kills due to high temperatures most often occur in July and August.; Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission fish kill causes (opens in a new tab)
How can a visitor report a fish kill or check beach status?: Visitors can report a fish kill through the SCDES ReportIt tool. The SCDES beach monitoring page lists active short-term swim advisories.; Sources: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services ReportIt (opens in a new tab), South Carolina Department of Environmental Services beach monitoring (opens in a new tab)