Scientist to dye bay to study water flow

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — Scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), together with staff from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), will conduct a dye tracing study beginning Jan. 15 at areas of interest identified in this study in the vicinity of St. Louis Bay.

Monitoring will occur Sunday through Thursday on various tides in an effort to track the flow and dispersion of water from the areas of concern into the St. Louis Bay and adjacent waters of the Mississippi Sound.

The USFDA will produce a report with dispersion maps from this study. Information from the January dye study will be used to determine any potential impacts on nearby shellfish waters. Rhodamine WT dye will be released in the study area beginning Sunday evening, Jan. 15. Another injection is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Jan. 17. As a result of the injection, portions of the waters in the tidal vicinity of the St. Louis Bay and adjacent waters may turn reddish in color. However, the dye is not harmful to people or the ecosystem, according to the MDMR.