Shocking photos show tens of thousands of dead starfish, sea urchins and mussels washed up on UK beaches after the bitter cold snap wreaked havoc for marine life.
A hammer blow was dealt to marine life as Siberian blast the Beast from the East and Storm Emma brought ice and snow to Britain last week.
Dead crabs, starfish, mussels and lobsters are lying, ankle-deep in places along the Holderness coast in Yorkshire, while similar scenes have been reported along the coast of Norfolk and Kent.
Last week saw a 3C drop in sea temperatures, causing sea animals to hunker down and reduce their activity level, according to Bex Lynam, North Sea marine advocacy officer at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
Beast from the East sparks mass sea-life die-off
"This makes them vulnerable to rough seas - they became dislodged by large waves and washed ashore when the rough weather kicked in.
"Larger animals such as dolphins are more mobile and can save themselves by swimming away when this sort of thing happens," she said.
Most of the animals on the Yorkshire coast are dead, except for lobsters which Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have been working with local fishermen to rescue, the charity said.
Lobsters that were still alive were gathered in buckets and taken to tanks in Bridlington for care, before being put back into the sea as the weather improves.
Ms Lynam added: "Lobsters are one of the few species still alive - that's why we're saving them with local fishermen.
"This area is very important for shellfish and we work alongside fishermen to promote sustainable fisheries and protect reproductive stocks. It's worth saving them so that they can be put back into the sea and continue to breed."
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The phenomenon was also seen on beaches in Ramsgate, Kent, where photographs of the spectacle were shared on a Facebook page called London Mudlark.
Lara Maiklem, 47, wrote on the Facebook page: "I managed to pull the twins out of bed early to catch low tide and see this starfish spectacle.
"Hundreds of thousands of starfish, sea urchins, crabs, sea anenomies and fish, killed and washed up by the Beast from the East.
"We saved a few crabs but most of them were dead. A sad, but incredible sight."
Chris Constantine meanwhile tweeted a video of devastation seen in Ramsgate with the caption: "#Starfish armageddon in Ramsgate, Kent. This was my Sunday stroll along our beach."
Temperatures plunged last week across the UK with roads and railways heavily disrupted by heavy snow and ice.
The mercury began to creep up on Saturday, with meteorologists warning the thaw could bring floods.
In London and the south-east, thousands have been left without water as the thaw caused water pipes to split or burst.
