Kills and Spills Team

If you see a fish or wildlife kill or suspect a pollution event:

Call (512) 389-4848 or contact your regional Kills and Spills Team biologist.

Prompt notification is key to a successful investigation. The sooner we arrive, the better the chances that our biologists will be able to collect useful evidence.

You can also use the web-based/phone application iNaturalist to report local impacts of winter storms on the coast in Region 3 and Region 4. Contribute your observations and photos online of coastal aquatic life that you suspect might have been killed due to the cold and help give our biologists the most up-to-date information to investigate. All iNaturalist observations are compiled on our project site here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/winter-storm-fish-and-sea-turtle-mortalities.

What does KAST do?

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Kills and Spills Team (KAST) is a group of biologists who investigate fish and wildlife kills resulting from pollution and natural events. KAST staff are trained to assess impacts to fish and wildlife resources and to determine the causes of events.

• Determine the cause of fish and wildlife kills and pollution incidents
• Minimize environmental degradation resulting from pollution incidents and fish and wildlife kills
• Obtain compensation for environmental damage and restore affected habitat

Reporting a Kill or Spill

If possible, make a note of the following:

• Location, date and time
• Water color, clarity and any odor
• Number, size and species of affected organisms
• Recent weather
• Condition and behavior of animals or organisms
• Are plants or other organisms affected?