Tropical storm warning issued for MS Gulf Coast
AP
MDEQ lifts a water contact advisory in Gulfport
WLOX
Larger-than-average low and no oxygen area may affect the region’s shrimp fisheries
Federal scientists forecast that this summer’s Gulf of Mexico dead zone – an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life – will be approximately 8,185 square miles, or about the size of New Jersey.
This would be the third largest dead zone recorded since monitoring began 32 years ago – the average Gulf dead zone since then has been 5,309 square miles.
The Gulf’s hypoxic (low oxygen) and anoxic (oxygen-free) zones are caused by excess nutrient pollution, primarily from human activities such as agriculture and wastewater. The excess nutrients stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and decomposes in the water. The resulting low oxygen levels are insufficient to support most marine life and habitats in near-bottom waters, threatening the Gulf’s fisheries.
The Gulf dead zone may also slow shrimp growth, leading to fewer large shrimp, according to a NOAA-funded
study led by Duke University. This could mean higher costs of large shrimp at the marketplace and an economic ripple effect on the Gulf shrimp fisheries.
“The Gulf’s summer hypoxic zone continues to put important habitats and valuable fisheries under intense stress,” said Rob Magnien, director of NOAA’s Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research. “Although there is some progress in reducing nutrients, the effects of the dead zone may further threaten the region’s coastal economies if current levels remain.”
This NOAA-sponsored forecast is based on nutrient runoff and river discharge data from the
U.S. Geological Survey. The forecast assumes typical weather conditions, and the actual dead zone could be disrupted by hurricanes and tropical storms.
This year’s predicted large size is due mainly to heavy May stream flows, which were about 34 percent above the long-term average and had higher-than-average nutrient loads. The USGS estimates that
165,000 metric tons of nitrate – about 2,800 train cars of fertilizer – and 22,600 metric tons of phosphorus flowed down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers into the
Gulf of Mexico in May.
The USGS operates more than
3,000 real-time stream gauges,
60 real-time nitrate sensors, and tracks
trends in nutrient loads and concentrations throughout the Mississippi-Atchafalaya watershed, which drains parts or all of 31 states.
“As algal blooms and hypoxia become more widespread and their effects more pronounced, the USGS's long-term monitoring and real-time sensors, coupled with watershed modeling, will continue to improve our understanding of their causes and the role they play in the Gulf and in lakes and streams across the country," said Don Cline, associate director for the USGS Water Mission Area.
The forecast assumes typical weather conditions, and the actual dead zone could be disrupted by hurricanes or tropical storms. The partners plan to confirm the size of the 2017 Gulf dead zone in early August, following monitoring surveys.
The ensemble of models that are the foundation of the forecast was developed by NOAA-sponsored teams of researchers at the
University of Michigan, Louisiana State University,
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium,
Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences/College of William and Mary,
Texas A&M University,
North Carolina State University and the
USGS.
To help reduce nutrient runoff, NOAA provides information to farmers through its
Runoff Risk Advisory Forecasts, which tell them when to avoid applying fertilizers to their croplands.
https://www.usgs.gov/news/noaa-usgs-and-partners-predict-third-largest-gulf-mexico-summer-dead-zone-ever?qt-news_science_products=3#qt-news_science_products Mississippi Manufacturers Association Announces Addition of Manufacturing Extension Partnership Division JACKSON, Miss. (June 19, 2017) — The Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA), along with Congressman Gregg Harper, Governor Phil Bryant, American Small Manufacturers Coalition President & CEO Carrie Hines, and MMA Chairman Jim McIngvale today announced at Nissan in Canton, Mississippi, a multi-year grant was awarded to the MMA to host the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, formerly InnovateMEP Mississippi, for the state of Mississippi. This grant, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides $1 million per year for the next five years for the MEP program. The new MMA-MEP is a non-profit line of business of the MMA, and its services will be available to all manufacturers. MMA assumed control of the MEP on April 1, 2017.
“As former chairman of InnovateMEP Mississippi, I saw firsthand the instrumental role this program played in being an advocate for small- to medium-sized manufacturers in our state. MMA remains vigilant in its efforts to eliminate an unfair, unnecessary or costly burden on the operations of our state's manufacturing community, which is why the MEP fits perfectly with the mission of the MMA,” said MMA President & CEO Jay C. Moon.
In addition to the grant, Governor Phil Bryant announced that the State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) will provide $200,000 in new, direct funding to the MMA-MEP to continue to support growth of Mississippi’s manufacturers in the following four project focus areas: establish a joint Mississippi Corridor Consortium/MMA-MEP expanded Intern Intensification Program (IIP) for non-traditional students; develop and deploy training to SWIB partners and stakeholders in industrial engagement; grow new startup manufacturing companies; and train manufacturing startup employees using the new MMA-MEP small manufacturers’ resource center.
MEP’s national network includes more than 440 service locations with more than 1,300 trusted advisors serving as technical experts to help manufacturing business owners increase profits, create and retain jobs, and establish a foundation for long-term growth and productivity. The MEP program currently receives $130 million dollars in federal funding that is matched with an additional $180 million in funding and fees collected to support these efforts.
Mississippi’s MEP program is one of 51 NIST-MEP Centers nationwide and has, for more than 15 years, provided exemplary service to Mississippi’s manufacturers by supporting the change that makes a significant difference between surviving and thriving.
The new MMA-MEP will be a catalyst for strengthening Mississippi manufacturing — accelerating its ongoing transformation into a more efficient and powerful engine of innovation by driving economic growth and job creation. MMA-MEP’s community college and university-based centers provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers the tools to innovate, create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save time and money.
“We are very happy to be part of the MMA and believe that this new affiliation and synergy will have great benefit for both organizations and the manufacturers of Mississippi. I am especially grateful for all that Jay Moon has done for MMA-MEP and me over the past 12 years,” said MMA-MEP Executive Director Dr. Jay Tice.
The MMA-MEP is administered by Dr. John “Jay” Tice IV, Executive Director; Dr. Joe Jordan, Assistant Director; and Carolyn Miller, Assistant Director.
Dr. Tice is in his 12th year as the Executive Director of Mississippi’s MEP program. Jay provides overall oversight of the MMA-MEP program which includes headquarters’ operations and the five MMA-MEP community college and university-based centers in Mississippi.
Dr. Jordan serves as Assistant Director for the MMA-MEP. In this role, he provides leadership for MMA-MEP programs in manufacturing innovation and technology acceleration, and coordinates the Mississippi E3 (economy, energy and environment) initiative, a collaborative partnership that promotes sustainable manufacturing.
Carolyn Miller is the Assistant Director of Business Operations for MMA-MEP. She manages all projects and financial reporting activities for MMA-MEP in conjunction with the Mississippi Manufacturers Association.
Additional program support is provided by Debra Stumpf, MMA Director of Administration, and Melissa Saxton, Program Coordinator of MMA Insurance Services.
http://www.mma-web.org/MMA/News/MMA_Announces_Addition_of_Manufacturing_Extension_Partnership_Division.aspx Wolf Lake Reopens to Fishing and Boating
YAZOO COUNTY – PURSUANT to the authority set forth in Mississippi Code Annotated §59-21-111
et. seq., the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, with the approval of the Commission, restricted certain recreational boating activities on Wolf Lake, Yazoo County, Mississippi, by order dated May 23, 2017. By this order, the previous order of May 23, 2017, is hereby rescinded and withdrawn.
All recreational boating activity on Wolf Lake in Yazoo County, Mississippi can resume as of June 20, 2017. Water levels are still above the norm for affected areas, boaters and fishermen are urged to exercise caution and good judgment when going into these areas. Boaters should refrain from getting close to any home, camp, boat house, or pier that may still be affected by high waters.
For more information on fishing and boating in Mississippi, visit www.mdwfp.com or call (601) 432-2200. Follow us on Facebook at
facebook.com/mdwfp or on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.
