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Located off Southeastern Louisiana, Barataria Bay is home to some of the most biologically diverse and productive waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Beginning in late May, state authorities began to close off specific areas to recreational and commercial fishing due to the appearance of oil as reported by shrimpers. Then on July 27th , a passing dredge barge pulled by the Pere Ana C. tugboat collided with an abandoned wellhead causing a geyser of oil to burst over the waters. Capped on August 1st, the oil well was eventually controlled, but the damage to Barataria Bay was done, and blue crab, one of the Gulf's most vital seafood harvests, is feeling the effects.
"Blue crabs are one of the most important components in the Gulf's food chain," Vince Guillory, a biologist manager of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, told Slashfood. Over the past few weeks reports from researchers testing seafood in the Barataria area have shown these abundant crustaceans' larvae to exhibit characteristic orange specks caused by oil. Biologist Harriet Perry of the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory has been studying the samples and told the Associated Press, "In my 42 years of studying crabs I've never seen this."
The news comes as a blow to an industry that regularly pulls in 40 to 50 million pounds of seafood a year in Louisiana alone. The findings are especially relevant now. Thanks to the Gulf's warm waters, crabs are at peak spawn and harvest season during July and August. Following the spawning period, crabs release their larvae into the waters; these spawn will eventually return to the Gulf's estuaries to develop and undergo several molting periods. After a full year, or when they reach a width of five inches, crabs are then ready for legal commercial harvest.
"Last year we pulled in slightly over 50 million pounds," says Guillory. It remains to be seen whether this year the season's catch will be nearly as bountiful, or even available for fishing activity. According to Guillory, blue crabs are the number one prey for drum fish, and if larvae show signs of oil contamination, it's only a matter of time before the same shows up in larger predatory species.
Though it's unclear whether crabs and other seafood will naturally digest and pass the oil or show long term signs of affliction, Louisiana's fishermen and retailers are worried. One source who delivers seafood to New Orleans area restaurants (and requested to remain anonymous) commented, "We just keep wondering if it's going to transfer to all the other seafood when the crabs shed and are eaten." After a bit of theorizing as to BP's activities, the source summed up the immediate situation, "We've been sitting around all morning talking about this because the fishermen can't go out and fish and I don't have any fish to deliver."
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8-10-2010 @8:47PM Brutorious said... The people who post replies and all they are doing is referencing a dating site ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT!!! I don't want to read about something that has nothing to do with subject matter - PLEASE STOP!! (sorry I am doing somewhat same but someone needs to speak out against these jerks) Please everyone - report these people by clicking on the ! report part of the reply and vote these people out of here.
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8-10-2010 @9:51PM Mike said... Of course bottom feeders crabs, lobsters, etc are contaminated. What do you think happens to all the dead fish and animals that were contaminated ? They sink to the bottom to be consumed by bottom feeders. Watching them wash pelicans was a joke for the public. They cleaned a small percentage of the birds and drove them hundreds of miles away to release them. Many had numerouse internal damage and died after release anyway. It cost hundreds of dollars to catch clean rehab and then release 1 pelican. It was a joke and a waste of time.
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8-12-2010 @3:05PM Bill W. said... "these abundant crustaceans' larvae to exhibit characteristic orange specks caused by oil."
The report is on LARVAE, yet the photo is an adult crab.
The LARVAE will molt many times before it reaches this size. Either this reporter is dishonest or not very curious. But very good at the "End of the world the sky is falling" panic and worry story.
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8-10-2010 @10:30PM elvira walker said... WISH BP WOULD JUST VANISH. THEY HAVE REALLY CAUSED OUR SEAFOOD TO DIE OUT. WOW, WHAT A MESS. THEY ARE THE WORST.
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8-10-2010 @11:39PM Ken said... The amount of oil and the amount of toxic dispercents used, along with the amount of time - over 3 months - equals contamination. If you believe otherwise you're lying to yourself.
There is no way that amount of oil and toxic dispercents did not contaminate not only the crabs and bottom feeders, but all sea life in the Gulf of Mexico.
If you think otherwise take some time to discover the degree of contamination one quart of refined oil in a large body of water creates let alone half a billion gallons. Then add the dispercents. A whole of of contaminated, dead, never to be the same sea life.
I understand the people from the Gulf who make their living selling this seafood don't want to scare people and kill sales, but all sea life in the Gulf has been affected.
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8-10-2010 @11:42PM Dave said... We are sacirficing our food chain for oil...What's wrong with this picture?????
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8-11-2010 @12:18AM Ted said... What a beautiful creature -- hes perfect in every way.
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8-11-2010 @1:12AM Rich said... Unfortunately, stopping these spammers is not an easy task. Personally, I think there should be laws against this with the penatly being death by public hanging. I'd love to see some of these retards swinging from a tree.
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8-11-2010 @4:15AM Tony said... Washington says our Gulf Sea food is safe to eat. Anyone who believes that is a fool. No way is the sea food safe from that area. With 200 million barrels of oil out there floating around the fish, sea food is clearly unfit to eat and will be for years to come.
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