The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque is closing one of its exhibits after an accident killed many of the animals.
Officials say a propylene glycol leak in the HVAC system early last week caused a chemical contamination in the Gulf of Mexico Aquarium, resulting in the deaths of almost two-thirds of the animals.
Officials with the museum say staff tried to divert the leak once it was noticed; however there was significant bacterial bloom and decreased oxygen. Visibility in the tank was impacted by the leak, complicating rescue efforts, as diving was not an option.
About one-third of the fish were rescued and moved into quarantine, but the rest of the animals, including a Green Moray Eel died.
The museum says new monitoring systems are being installed to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
The museum expects to reopen the exhibit in about six weeks.
