BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation granted more than $2.8 million to The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi to expand its oyster reefs.
The funding will be used to increase the existing oyster reef in Bay St. Louis by 20 acres, WLOX-TV reported. The reef is currently 10 acres.
The project was expected to add more height to the reef so it can be stronger if there’s an influx of fresh water, such as what happened last year when the Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened twice.
Oysters help maintain water quality and provide habitat for several estuarine species. But sudden influxes of massive amounts of polluted fresh water lower can lower oxygen levels, killing oysters and other marine life.
“Whether it’s increased fresh water from the Bonnet Carre, the Pearl or the two rivers flowing directly into the bay, we understand that restoration of these reefs is going to require them to be built to withstand these type of flooding events as much as possible,” said Alex Littlejohn, state director of The Nature Conservancy for Mississippi.
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