Jersey Shore beach littered with dead sharks as expert offers theory on rare event
Shark ecologist Mike Heithaus speaks with Fox News Digital about nearly 30 dead dogfish found along the Jersey Shore, what may have caused the rare event and how beachgoers should respond if they encounter dead marine animals.
A popular Jersey Shore beach reopened to swimmers after dozens of syringes washed ashore — only for a beachgoer to report finding more concerning debris along the sand the following day.
The syringes and paraphernalia were discovered littered across the sands of Manasquan Beach in Manasquan, along the Jersey Shore, on Saturday.
Officials at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) said the debris included household waste, including syringes used for at-home insulin injections, according to local outlets.
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Mayor Michael Mangan told Fox News Digital the syringes were first discovered Saturday afternoon and were cleaned up and properly cleared away.
"There was a large amount of additional debris, indicating a garbage spill of some kind, and the incident was localized to the south end beach, along the Manasquan Inlet jetty," Mangan said.
Dozens of syringes and other debris washed ashore at Manasquan Beach along the Jersey Shore over the weekend. (iStock)
It's believed the debris washed ashore following recent heavy rainfall and sewer overflows, according to local reports citing the NJDEP.
Mangan added that, in accordance with guidance from the NJDEP and Monmouth County health officials, the town waited for two high-tide cycles, which occurred overnight Saturday.
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By 9 a.m. Sunday, state and local officials "met on site, and no syringes were observed — so the water was reopened," Mangan told Fox News Digital.
But not all residents agreed with the timing of reopening the waters.
Manasquan Beach reopened to swimmers Sunday after syringes and drug paraphernalia were discovered along the sand Saturday. (iStock)
Priscilla Mahajan, a Manasquan resident, told local outlet News 12 she found needle plungers and drug paraphernalia on Sunday.
Mahajan had participated in the cleanup efforts the day before. She said she felt the beach reopened too soon.
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"One beach cleanup is definitely not enough to say something is safe," the resident said.
Mahajan added, "We can't change what's in the ocean or what people have done in the past, but we can change our reaction to it."
The beach debris in question (not pictured) was localized to the south end of Manasquan Beach near the Manasquan Inlet jetty, according to the mayor. (iStock)
Mahajan told CBS News she found syringes, cut straws, syringe plungers, syringe caps and small plastic baggies along the beach.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the NJDEP, but the agency declined to comment.
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The syringe discovery comes less than two weeks after another unusual scene unfolded along the Jersey Shore, when nearly 30 dead juvenile dogfish sharks were found scattered across a beach in Sea Isle City.
A resident of Manasquan, New Jersey, reported finding needle plungers and drug paraphernalia along the beach after the water reopened Sunday. (iStock)
At the time, shark ecologist Mike Heithaus told Fox News Digital that seeing so many sharks wash ashore at one time was rare.
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The incident did not appear consistent with a widespread toxin or pollution event, Heithaus said, and he suggested the sharks may have been caught and discarded.
