If you’ve ever had a garden you know that factors like rainfall, soil acidity, insects and fertilizer among others have an affect on your harvest. Animals have their own requirements which vary from  species to species. The lower on the food chain the more a species is directly affected. 

We’re all aware of the recent oil spill and its effects on the marshes and oyster beds of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Currently the Mississippi watershed is experiencing a 100-year flood with its concomitant effects on everything in its flood plain and associated river systems. As tragic as the flooding is ,the freshwater that is making its way to the Gulf will inundate the marshes and decrease the salinity in the near shore areas. This will have a negative effect on seafood production.

The primary shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico is the brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus). The adults spawn offshore with hatching occurring within 24 hours. The larvae develop offshore and go through five naupliar, three protozoeal and three mysis stages before changing into postlarvae which look like what we think of as a small shrimp.

All of the stages in brown shrimp development have salinity and temperature requirements and when maturing they’re found at different depths. At salinities below 27 parts per thousand (ppt) or above 35 ppt, hatching is inhibited and survival of larvae decrease.

The large decrease in salinity that has been caused by and that will be caused by the flooding of the Mississippi will have a negative impact on this year’s brown shrimp crop. The oil spill effects on shrimp harvest will be confounded with the effects of the flooding, though sampling before the flooding has confirmed that the oil spill has had an impact on the shrimp season. Brown shrimp yields from Louisiana and Mississippi waters will be impacted. Texas and Florida yields shouldn’t be affected much with Alabama’s brown shrimp yield better than Mississippi’s but still feeling an impact from the flooding and the oil spill.

These dual disasters’ affects on the pink and white seasons are yet to be determined. Biologists will use the brown shrimp season to give them an idea of what to expect.

If the overall annual shrimp season is heavily impacted we can expect imported shrimp to fill the gap for the consumer.

Think Global – Act Local!

Dr. “Skip” Lazauski’s television show “Eco-Bites”, can now be seen

on youtube.com. To reach Dr. Lazauski for questions and comments,

send e-mails to IchiOrca@yahoo.com. For more information, see his Web site, www.drskiponline.com.