Second phase of oyster restoration to begin

In August, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will start on the second phase of a program to rebuild and revitalize oyster reefs in the western Mississippi Sound.
During this phase, employees and contractors will plant approximately 160 acres of cultch material on several reefs by the end of August. The purpose of this project is to restore Mississippi’s oyster reefs and increase future production. The reefs included in the August planting are Pass Christian, Henderson Point, Pass Marianne and St. Joe.
This project is being funded by NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. The fisheries disaster funding was the result of the 2011 opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway which damaged both the oyster and crab fisheries in Mississippi.