Bad news for oyster lovers living in and around Mississippi and the Louisiana state: the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has ordered the closure of all oyster reefs and beaches by 4 p.m. last Friday, no thanks to a breakout of red tide, a dangerous algal bloom in seawater.
The preemptive closure, covering all beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was issued due to the proximity of possibly risky algae blooms and the likelihood of respiratory issues and irritations to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.
"Algae blooms are unusual in this area and at this time of year, but we want to make sure residents are safe,” DMR executive director Jamie Miller said. For him, the move is made in the name of public safety.
The oyster reefs that were closed until further notice included St. Joseph’s or St. Joe Reef, the northern parts of the Pass Christian and Henderson Point reefs, and St. Stanislaus and Waveland reefs. They will reopen soon after samples from DMR’s testing yield results showing appropriate harvest conditions.
The state Department of Health and Hospitals, which had closed Oyster Beds one to seven, alerted to the presence of Karenia brevis, the microscopic algae resulting in red tide.
"These shellfish harvest areas will be reopened as soon as it is determined that environmental conditions are within the requirements specified by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program," it declared in a statement.
This single-celled organism is less often found in Louisiana waters than in Florida, Texas, or Mexico. But it releases neurotoxins that could result in stomach and brain problems when ingested, and have been associated with massive fish kills and damage to marine animals.
Tommy Cvitanovich owns a number of Drago’s restaurants, moving around four million oysters every year.
"Oh my God, you're just like holding your breath for a second and then you get why, what's up,” he recalled as his reaction upon hearing the news of the preemptive closure.
The good news, however, is no cases of related sickness has so far been reported in the affected areas.
Photo: Larry Hoffman | Flickr
