GULFPORT — How does Mississippi return its coast waters to the stability and health they enjoyed a century ago? Although it was a lofty goal state officials, Gulf Coast supervisors, and mayors met Wednesday morning at Gulfport’s Institute for Marine Mammal Studies to discuss and organize checkpoints that could be used in achieving this mission. This was the first meeting of the newly formed Mississippi Sound Coalition. Paul Mickle, chief scientific officer at the Department of Marine Resources stated that the Mississippi Sound is now doing what it has never done in the past 15 years and was losing production as a result. Due to the unprecedented flow of freshwater from Mississippi River, the Mississippi Sound’s marine life was subjected to a turbulent spring and summer. The Bonnet Carre Spillway in Louisiana, which releases water from Mississippi River to keep New Orleans from flooding, allowed freshwater into the Sound. The spillway has never been opened consecutively nor twice in a single year. This year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke both records after a historic wet year in the river’s basin. https://mississippitoday.org/flooding/
The lower salinity in freshwater caused many Mississippi’s crabs, shrimps and oysters to die. Mickle explained that these species weren’t designed to withstand such drastic changes in their environment. Mickle stated that variability has caused a loss in production. “In summertime, it becomes too salty. It can swing from extremely salty to very fresh water quality. It has never happened in so many years, with the water quality swinging back and forth. It’s never happened so many years in a row, the water quality swinging so far back and forth. He stressed the importance of preparing for future Spillway openings and said that the group would include the mayors and supervisors from Hancock and Harrison counties. The Coalition did not make any major announcements or actions on Wednesday. However, they discussed options like diverting more Pearl River water into the Sound to reduce salinity and bringing in other attorneys from the states that border the Mississippi River. According to Blessey, the group plans its next meeting for December.