Thousands of mussels wash up on shores of Long Island

Thousands of dead mussels have washed up this week on the shores of Long Island.

A Stony Brook University marine science professor says he examined the blue mussels that have come ashore in Jamesport and says the die-off could have to do with the hot summer.

Professor Christopher Gobler says the mussels thrive in the Long Island Sound's typically mild temperature. He says the mussels appear to have been born in 2013 and 2014, both cooler years.

But he says this summer's high temperatures probably caused them to die and wash ashore.

Residents tell Newsday the mussels are starting to smell, and they hope the tide takes them away.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation tells WCBS-TV mussel wash-ups can occur a few times a year across the region.