At a Glance
- Cyanobacteria was detected in June along Mississippi's Gulf Coast.
- All 21 of the state's mainland beaches have been closed to swimming.
Despite heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Barry, toxic blue-green algae remains along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The state's 21 mainland beaches have been closed because of the outbreak of cyanobacteria. The closings started June 22, and the final two beaches were closed July 7.
Beachgoers have been warned to stay out of the water, but they can remain on the sand.
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Robbie Wilbur told WLOX.com that water samples tested Sunday "indicated the continued presence of algal bloom."
Wilbur said the beaches tested Sunday were in Jackson and Harrison counties. Other beaches were to be tested Monday, but those results have not been reported yet.
Mississippi's barrier islands' beaches have remained open.
The cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
So far, the levels of cyanobacteria being detected off Mississippi beaches have not reached toxic levels, the Clarion Ledger reported. Still, state officials are advising against eating fish or other seafood from water where the bloom is present.
