Those venturing to the Kemah and Seabrook areas to mark the Memorial Day holiday were met with the sight - and smell - of tens of thousands of small, dead fish in the water nearby.

The fish and the stench were a hot topic as families came to the area during the long weekend.

Kemah and Seabrook were the most heavily affected, said Heather Biggs, a regional biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Her team has been in the area for days surveying the scene.

"There is a possibility of an algae bloom, which can be toxic to the fish," Biggs said. Her department has been performing tests on the water to narrow down what exactly has been killing off the fish for the past few weeks.

A lack of rain also is contributing to the fish kills, as the introduction of rain aids in adding oxygen to the water.

Biggs said the dead fish have been an ongoing problem for a few weeks, but with the increased tourist traffic there has been much more attention. The fish, called shad or Gulf menhaden, usually are used for bait by fishermen looking for bigger prizes.

No link to the recent oil spill in Galveston Bay was found.

"Fish kills like this are pretty common at this time of year as the water heats up," Biggs said. "I'm 100 percent sure it is not due to the oil spill."

Because of health concerns, Biggs recommended people not fish in the areas where the rotting carcasses have accumulated.

The largest concentration of dead fish was in the area of Texas 146 and Second Street, though several pockets could be found floating throughout the area.

Sgt. Kara Harrison with Galveston Island Beach Patrol said her department had not been affected by the glut of carcasses as of Monday afternoon.

"We haven't had any issues with the dead shad on the shoreline," said Harrison, adding that beach crowds on Monday were a little smaller than usual, but that was more likely due to the wet weather moving into the area.

Landry's Inc., which owns and operates the nearby Kemah Boardwalk, could not be reached for comment on Monday due to the Memorial Day office holiday. A restaurant manager in the area said the business was not having any issues related to the fish or the smell.