Update on algae bloom
Here on the Coast, we are still feeling the effects of the reopening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway months after it had been closed.
News 25 spoke with Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins. He says there is still a no-water contact advisory along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Spraggins says the conditions are improving some since the closing of the spillway and that the algal blooms are not growing as much as they once were when the spillway was open.
Spraggins adds that the salinity has to reach 25 to 30 parts per billion to be able to kill the algae. He also mentions that reaching that level of salinity is hard to do in the Mississippi Sound.
The DMR says they are working closely with politicians regarding this issue. Spraggins said, “We’re working with the Corps and we’re working with the Mississippi River Commission. We are working with our delegations as far as the senators, congressmen, and our state legislatures, and our governor. Our governor is working hard to try to help us. I’m going next week to be able to speak to the senate, the commerce committee, and basically go talk to them about what has happened and how we can do things differently.”
Spraggins wants people to know that the seafood from the Mississippi Gulf Coast is safe to eat and says that the DMR is testing the seafood every day.
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