Omega Protein temporarily moves ships

HOUSTON - Omega Protein Corp., producer of Omega-3 fish oil and specialty fish meal products, has implemented an Incident Response Plan for its Moss Point, Miss., facility to minimize effects from the oil spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. The plan is intended to minimize vessel downtime and business interruptions. The company believes the oil slick temporarily could effect on its ability to operate in the fishing grounds east of the Mississippi River Delta, near its Moss Point facility. Starting April 30, Omega Protein will relocate its nine Moss Point fishing vessels and three carry vessels to fishing grounds on the west side of the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana. This relocation is expected to last up to four weeks. (Source: PRNewswire via MarketWatch, 04/29/10)

Oil slick threatens fisheries, tourism

Fishermen and tourism businesses in the northeast Gulf of Mexico dread the nightmare possibility that a huge oil spill could wreck their livelihoods if it reaches shore. The oyster season is ending and shrimp season is set to begin. As the Coast Guard and oil company BP struggle to contain the slick from a blown-out well off Louisiana, states are deploying fire-retardant booms and other measures to protect their coastlines. The slick threatens the eastern shores of Louisiana and could also affect coastal waters in Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida. The slick could also hit the tourism sector that is vital to Gulf Coast economies. (Source: Reuters, 04/29/10)

Dolphin population re-established

Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, dolphins have re-established their homes, based on the research of a University of Southern Mississippi professor and his students. The findings of Dr. Stan Kuczaj, professor of psychology and director of the Southern Miss Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory, were featured in an article published in Marine Mammal Science. A dramatic increase in the number of dolphin calves in the Mississippi Sound were documented by Kuczaj’s team two years following the Aug. 29, 2005 storm. Kuczaj’s team believes the decrease in commercial and recreational fishing following Katrina may have resulted in increased fish populations for the dolphins to prey upon, which in turn could have resulted in more successful births. The researchers also found that dolphin foraging is sometimes interrupted by boats, and so the reduction of boat traffic following Katrina may have allowed the dolphins to be more efficient hunters. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 04/23/10)

Science center signing ceremony set

GULFPORT, Miss. - A signing ceremony for the contract to build a 72,000 square foot state-of-the-art science center near NASA's Stennis Space Center will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Hancock Bank Board Room in downtown Gulfport. Roy Anderson Corp. will start construction May 1. The center to be located along Interstate 10 near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line is expected to be a big tourist draw. Infinity is designed to highlight the activities at Stennis Space Center and inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers in the fields of earth, ocean and space science. (Source: Infinity Science Center Inc., 04/05/10)

Lab takes on red snapper production

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - A 5,260-square-foot building under construction at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's Cedar Point site will play a vital role in red snapper stock enhancement. Red snapper is considered overfished by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Once the $1.3 million NOAA-funded red snapper laboratory is up and running it will produce 70,000 to 180,000 fish per year. GCRL is part of the University of Southern Mississippi. (Source: Mississippi Press, 04/05/10)