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Texas State Aquarium ensuring safety of animals three years after massive fish kill

Posted at 7:32 AM, Apr 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-18 08:32:34-04

CORPUS CHRSITI – It’s been a few years since a massive fish kill at the Texas State Aquarium that stunned the Coastal Bend.

The staff said they now monitor chemical operations with a heightened level of quality control.

"A lot of these fish some people have grown up with. We’ve heard stories of people that would come as children and now they were bringing their kids to see some of these animals," Jesse Gilbert said.

In April of 2015, an attempt to treat a parasite resulted in the deaths of nearly 400 fish.

Aquarium CEO Jesse Gilbert described the event as a horrific human error.

A mix-up by the distributor caused TSA staff to use a toxic chemical, often used in paint and motor fuels, to treat the water.

Fast-forward three years, and the staff at the aquarium said new protocol is in place to ensure the safety of the marine animals.

"Any time we get a bulk chemical in, we actually send it out for analysis to make sure it actually is what it says it is on the bottle," Gilbert said.

Marine experts focus primarily on the animals’ breathing levels.

"I would definitely say that we very, very closely watch respiration rates on the animals to make sure they’re doing well during the treatments," Gilbert said.