These shockingly stark images show thousands of dead fish floating on the surface of an Amazonian lake as far as the eye can see.

The fish are believed to have died from oxygen starvation caused by a severe ‘trout’ in a lake in Parana do Jussara, Coari Municipality, northern Brazil.

Grim footage of the dead fish floating on the water’s surface did the rounds on social media on 10th November.

According to experts, the mass deaths happened due to a severe drought in the Amazon region this year.

Biotechnologist Jacksoney Lima told local media: “It’s a large lake comprised of several smaller lakes.

“Whenever there is an excessive drop in the rivers, the volume of water in the lake decreases, and as there are a lot of fish in this region, the amount of oxygen also decreases.

“Furthermore, when the temperature drops, there is a temperature inversion, which also helps reduce oxygen, causing these fish to end up like this.”

Coari remains in a state of emergency due to the low level of the Solimoes River.

As per the last report on 9th November, it was one of eight municipalities in Amazonas State that have declared a state of emergency over the ongoing drought.

According to the United States Geological Survey, climate change exacerbates droughts by making them more frequent, longer, and more severe.