Overview
- A beachgoer counted 29 small dead sharks along about a 10-block stretch between 29th and 39th streets in Sea Isle City, a sighting first reported Wednesday that drew immediate public alarm.
- Stockton University adjunct marine scientist Stephen Nagiewicz identified the animals as roughly one-foot juvenile dogfish that commonly travel in schools.
- Nagiewicz and other experts said a toxic event is unlikely because only dogfish were found and no other species were reported, pointing instead to tidal stranding or fishermen discarding bycatch as plausible causes.
- Sea Isle City Beach Patrol and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection were notified but had not publicly confirmed results, and reporters noted the carcasses were gone by midday, likely washed back out to sea which may limit testing opportunities.
- Dogfish often forage near shore and can become trapped by receding tides, and the incident has prompted local calls for an investigation into fishing practices and water quality to rule out illegal dumping or other causes.