Ecological disturbances such as fish kills can negatively impact ecosystem processes in coastal lagoons. To gain an understanding of factors causing fish kills, we examined conditions associated with a summertime fish kill in a northeastern Pacific coastal lagoon (Rodeo Lagoon, CA, USA). Examination of available data indicated the fish kill was likely caused by hypoxia involving the following etiology: (1) strong onshore winds (up to 12 m/s) mixed a stratified water column, (2) water column mixing transported nutrients from near the bed into the photic zone, (3) increased nutrient concentrations in the photic zone (> 200%) together with high solar irradiance fueled a phytoplankton bloom, (4) death and decomposition of phytoplankton (72% decrease in abundance) contributed to biological oxygen demand that led to (5) hypoxic conditions (as low as 0.6 mg/L) that caused the fish kill. The event resulted in the death of an estimated 3677 Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), a species listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act, and numerous (but not enumerated) Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), unidentified sculpins (Cottidae), and macroinvertebrates (primarily Amphipoda). The processes contributing to the event are likely re-occurring phenomena responsible for observed periodic fish kills. Coastal lagoons with limited freshwater inflows and connection to the Pacific Ocean may retain nutrients and be susceptible to similar events.

鱼类死亡等生态干扰会对沿海泻湖的生态系统过程产生负面影响。为了了解导致鱼类死亡的因素，我们研究了与东北太平洋沿海泻湖（美国加利福尼亚州罗迪奥泻湖）夏季鱼类死亡相关的条件。对现有数据的检查表明，鱼类死亡可能是由缺氧引起的，涉及以下病因：(1) 强陆上风（高达 12 m/s）混合了分层水柱，(2) 水柱混合从床附近输送了营养物质进入透光区，(3) 透光区养分浓度增加 (> 200%) 加上高太阳辐照度促进浮游植物大量繁殖，(4) 浮游植物死亡和分解（丰度减少 72%）导致生物需氧量导致 (5) 缺氧条件（低至 0.6 毫克/升）导致鱼类死亡。该事件导致约 3677 头潮水虾虎鱼 ( Eucyclogobius newberryi ) 死亡，该物种被美国濒危物种法案列为濒危物种，以及大量（但未列举）三脊刺鱼 ( Gasterosteus aculeatus )、身份不明的杜父鱼 (Cottidae) 和大型无脊椎动物（主要是片脚类）。导致该事件的过程很可能是导致观察到的周期性鱼类死亡的重复发生的现象。淡水流入有限且与太平洋相连的沿海泻湖可能会保留营养物质，并容易遭受类似事件的影响。