Rio’s Olympic lagoon filled with 65 tons of dead fish (PHOTOS)
Dead fish float on the waters of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, beside the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 13, 2013.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro caused an ecological nightmare at the lagoon where Olympic rowing will take place in 2016, when 65 tons of dead fish were discovered earlier this week.
According to USA Today, the rain depleted the lagoon's oxygen levels when rotting plant matter was washed into it, killing the yellowtail, catfish, tilapia and sea bass that live in the waters.
More from GlobalPost: Are you ready, Rio? Brazil braces for Olympic 2016 spotlight
Environmental authorities launched a cleanup of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, reported The Guardian.
City workers had to move quickly, as rowing qualifiers for the 2016 Olympics started Thursday, according to New Scientist.
The Associated Press reported that no dead fish were pulled out of the tourist attraction as of the day of the qualifiers.
A similar incident in 2009 left 100 tons of fish dead and needing to be removed from Rio's central lagoon.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!