Large swells have been blamed for the millions of dead shellfish that washed ashore on Waihi Beach in March.
Tests conducted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, University of Waikato and the Ministry of Primary Industries found the cause of the mass tuatua die-off was most likely due to the heavy swells the region experienced in the days leading up to the beaching, not contaminants or disease.
The regional council announced its findings this morning, stating a number of tests were run on tuatua samples to determine the cause of death.
At the time, residents shared their shock and upset at what they said were "millions" of pipi dead on the beach. Read more about that here.
Regional council environmental scientist Rebecca Lawton said staff analysed samples of the shellfish for the presence of heavy metals, algal biotoxins and other indicators of contamination.