Thousands of shellfish washed up on same stretch of coast which saw mass die-off

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “There’s starfish dead, clams, oysters and crabs.” He said a large deposit of black debris on the beach – which some said was sea coal – had just arrived on the tide and was not normally there. Mr Marshall, who has run the huts for almost seven years, said he does not believe the particles are coal, adding: “We do get bits of coal from time to time but not anything like this.” He also questioned the possible explanation that rough seas had killed the creatures, as he said the waters had been calm lately. “While we know people are concerned, the combination of recent heavy swell, spring tides and onshore winds means natural wash ups will occur more often.” The previous mass die-off on the North East coast in late 2021 sparked a series of investigations which have proved controversial to this day. In January, a panel of independent experts convened by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs chief scientific officer Gideon Henderson concluded: “A novel pathogen is considered the most likely cause of mortality.” However, the panel was “unable to identify a clear and convincing single cause for the unusual crustacean mortality”.