State officials have closed Mississippi oyster reefs because of an algal bloom known as a “red tide.” As MPB’s Evelina Burnett reports, the algae produces toxins that can be harmful to wildlife and humans.
These toxins can be fatal to fish and birds. The algae's toxins can also become airborne, causing respiratory problems and irritation of the eyes and skin in humans - which is why the state closed Mississippi beaches last week too.
Department of Marine Resources chief science officer Kelly Lucas says algal blooms are common, though this one is unusual in some ways. In fact, red tides occur in Florida annually, and this one appears to have started there too.
"It just seems given the westward conditions and the warm water and the currents, that algal bloom has just kind of spread over to Alabama and now to Mississippi and Louisiana," Lucas says. "These things have been around for a very long time. We've had reports of Spanish explorers who've actually documented blooms. So the blooms have been out there, we've just never had one this time of the year and that's been this widespread."
Though they've been around for a long time, it’s still not certain what causes red tides, though some worry the BP oil spill could be a factor now.
University of Southern Mississippi marine science professor Don Redalje says that’s not clear. But what is more certain is that the algae needs nutrients to survive, and those nutrients often do come from man-made sources, like sewage outfalls and run-off from land.
"Human activities along the coast and the pollution that we put into the coastal waters has been linked to the increasing occurrences of harmful algal blooms in various places so there is that possibility," he says.
Lucas of the DMR says that given conditions in the Sound, they expect the red tide to be around at least through the end of the week. During the bloom, the DMR recommends distressed and dead fish not be consumed. The DMR has put more information about harmful algal blooms on its website.
Since Sunday, Audubon Mississippi has received reports of 20 dead birds, mostly water fowl, along the Mississippi coast. Sarah Pacyna is director of Audubon's Coastal Bird Stewardship Program. She recommends people who see dead or distressed animals contact local wildlife groups.
"The best thing is to not touch these critters, to allow the professionals to handle that," she says. "Audubon would definitely like to know about the occurrences, so we ask to be contacted as well, but we are monitoring the situation at hand."
To report a fish kill, call the the DMR at 228-374-5000.
To report dead or distressed birds, call 601-321-1131.
If you see a marine mammal in distress, call the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies at 1-888-767-3657.
For questions about beach closures, call 228-432-3447.