Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound | |
---|---|
Location | Gulf Coast of the United States |
Coordinates | 30°16′N 88°31′W / 30.267°N 88.517°W |
Part of | Gulf of Mexico |
River sources | Pearl River, Pascagoula River, Mobile River |
Max. length | 90 miles (145 km) |
Max. depth | 20 feet (6 m) |
Islands | Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands |
The Mississippi Sound is a
Traditional seafood harvests, particularly shellfish, have been curtailed recently due to declines in numbers and quality caused by pollution and weather related events such as hurricanes, flooding, or droughts. Federal and state authorities have various programs and regulations aimed at shellfish restoration and water quality monitoring for beachgoers.[2][3] After the 2008 and 2011 openings of the floodgates of the Bonnet Carré Spillway the massive freshwater destroyed the oyster and crab populations and the authorities have undertaken cultch plantings to restore the fisheries in the western sound.[4] The 2019 opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway has resulted in seafood industry losses that exceed $200 million dollars.[5] Sport fishing is year-round on charters as well as the nearshore.[6]
Large portions of the Mississippi Sound reach depths of about 20 feet (6 m). Part of the
Deepwater ports along the sound include
Notes
- ^ Velardo, Brian. (May 2005) "Detailed Geochronology of the Mississippi Sound during the Late Holocene." Thesis-Master of Sciences. Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. Louisiana State University. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.p. 62. Retrieved December 6, 2014. http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04072005-210612/unrestricted/Velardo_thesis.pdf
- ^ EPA. Water Quality at Gulf Coast Beaches. Gulf of Mexico Program. Stennis Space Center, MS. Retrieved December 6, 2014. http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/wqgulfcoast.html
- ^ EPA. Gulf of Mexico Shellfish Challenge. "Implementing Priority Projects". Gulf of Mexico Program Office. Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000. Retrieved December 6, 2014. http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/pubhealth/priority_proj.html
- ^ Mississippi Briefs. (30 July 2017). "Oyster project entering new phase". Clarion-Ledger. (Jackson, MS) p. 4A.
- ^ Rozier, Alex. (29 April 2020). "A Flood of Catastrophe: How a warming climate and the Bonnet Carré Spillway threaten the survival of Coast fishermen". Mississippi Today website Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ Broom, Brian. (February 5, 2017). "Winter weather means hot sheepshead action". Clarion-Ledger. (Jackson, Miss.)
- ^ Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition, p. 750.
References
- Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997. ISBN 0-87779-546-0.