Unknown pollutant killing marine specimens at research centre

A fishy end: A worker showing a dead fish found near Cemacs in Teluk Bahang, Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: Live marine specimens in a laboratory in Teluk Bahang are dying from a pollutant that “invaded” the lab via sea water.

Although scientists have yet to identify the pollutant killing their specimens, the result was the stench of hydrogen sulfide – a toxic gas released by decaying organic matter – fuming out of the sea water used in the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemacs).