A new species of shark has been identified in the Gulf of Mexico by a team of researchers, and the creature has one very distinctive feature — it glows in the dark. The glowing shark measures just 5.5 inches long, according to a study published in the Zootaxa journal.

With algae blooms in the Mississippi Sound and water advisories issued across the Mississippi coastline, hotels are seeing a lot less people coming through the doors than they usually do during the summer tourism months.

The planned opening of a much-debated beachfront parking lot on Perdido Key has been pushed back because of concerns about its impact on environmentally sensitive coastal dunes.

Mexico Beach was ground zero for Hurricane Michael, destroying 70 percent of the resort community’s homes and businesses with its Category 5 winds and 18-foot storm surge. Because its flood maps hadn’t been updated in 10 years, 80 percent of those structures were uninsured because FEMA placed them in flood zone "X" – areas that have low-to-moderate risks for flooding, according to a report by My Flood Risk, an affiliate of Melbourne, Fla.-based National Flood Insurance LLC.

Deep-sea sharks are elusive creatures. Many of the seafloor-skimming creatures predate dinosaurs. But the shady lives of the rare sharks are poorly understood because of the depths in which they swim.

An “exceedingly rare” pocket shark—originally collected in a trawl survey in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and stored in a giant freezer for three years before anyone identified the species—has been officially identified as a new species and given a name.

Nesting numbers rebound as beach nourishment project settles in

So far in the government’s 2019 fiscal year, engineers estimate the Corps and contractors have dredged 39.5 million cubic yards of material.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), during a recent Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, defended the use of offshore energy revenue sharing funds that support Louisiana's coastalrestoration efforts.

Today, the Gulf of Mexico continues to be an ongoing repository for munitions, although for purposes other than mere disposal, and under tight safety and environmental controls.

"Our bill ensures that these increased revenues will be committed to projects that restore the coast, protect our coastal communities from hurricanes and other disaster and, ultimately, reduce our nation’s outrageous disaster response costs." Cong. Garret Graves. And, catch Cong. Graves on ASPN's Capitol Beach Podcast with Derek Brockbank.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), through its Beach Monitoring Program, continues to maintain water contact warnings across the Mississippi Gulf Coast for all 21 sampling stations.

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) has said that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will offer 77.8 million acres for a region-wide lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico scheduled for August 21, 2019.

Counties in five Gulf Coast states affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill can apply for eligible construction and real property acquisition activities under the RESTORE Act.

Totals rose over May 2018, but short-term rentals on Anna Maria Island weren’t as busy in May as during the spring break months of March and April.

Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (ORN) announced yesterday it has won a contract worth up to $52 million for dredging services in Texas.

Beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast remain closed because of toxic bacteria detected before Barry blew ashore.

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The Bonnet Carre Spillway could be closed within a week, said marine officials on Tuesday, but the impacts could last for months.

The Port of New Orleans was reopened to river traffic early July 14 after a two-day closure surrounding the arrival of Hurricane Barry, which weakened immediately into a tropical storm upon landfall, but still packed 70 mph winds. Numerous highways and rail service locations remain closed as of July 15.

A landmark 30-year study of ailing coral in the Florida Keys shows nutrient-supercharged water from as far north as Orlando is contributing to the death of an ancient ecosystem that evolved to thrive in a fertilizer-free environment.

In 2015, a nesting record of 289 nests was set, followed by a new record in 2016 when 325 sea turtle nests were found on Seashore beaches.

Hurricane Barry largely spared New Orleans, but it underscored that climate change brings complex impacts and hard choices.

Barry, now a tropical depression, continues moving slowly north through Arkansas and rainfall and flooding remains a concern. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over the south central United States yesterday, July 14 and captured a visible image of then Tropical Storm Barry.

Shrimpers say changes are a good sign but not enough

After centuries of fighting back water in a low-lying nation, the Dutch have become the world leaders in flood control. And their expertise is helping Texas design what would become the nation’s most ambitious — and expensive — coastal barrier.

St. Louis, MO - July 9, 2019 - The United Soybean Board’s commitment to improve market conditions for farmers hits a new bottom — the Mississippi River bottom.

“The major cause of record, recent flooding is entirely man-made - the dramatic constriction of our large rivers by oversized levees, flood plain development and structural narrowing for barge traffic,” said Robert Criss, professor emeritus with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

ENGLEWOOD — Damian Ochab is happy Sarasota County is joining Charlotte County in its effort to nourish the eroded shoreline along Manasota Key.

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Mexico Beach is getting some much-needed assistance with a beach renourishment project thanks to the Bay County Tourist Development Council.

WALTON COUNTY — The latest twist in Walton County’s tumultuous customary use battle has some beach property owners threatening to seek legal sanctions against the county’s attorneys for attempting to claim, as public, land that in years past had been specifically declared to be private.

On July 1, one year after a state law negated Walton County’s customary use beach ordinance, residents and visitors gathered on local beaches to join hands in support of customary use.

Jul. 11--PANAMA CITY -- The air in the heart of Florida's Panhandle has felt heavy for days, weighed down by Southern humidity and the hazy heat of summer. Familiar thunderstorms, bringing brief downpours, have done little to loosen its grip.

When it becomes regulated, Texas oyster farming will be a huge economic boost. "We're talking in terms of thousands of jobs really and millions of dollars of impacts easily."

A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the Louisiana coast ahead of Tropical Storm Barry's arrival.

Two separate efforts explore options

That’s been made clear over the past couple of weeks as algal blooms, freshwater intrusion, seafood industry damages and even infestations of alligators have descended upon southeastern Louisiana. The effects of the Bonnet Carre opening have been enough to attract the attention of Louisiana’s congressional delegation.

An advisory for a portion of Panama City Beach remains in place due elevated levels of bacteria.

GULFPORT, Miss. — Toxic bacteria are keeping swimmers out of the water on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and it will be weeks before financial information shows whether beach closures are hurting the local economy.

Witnesses First-Hand Vessel Activity of Nation’s Busiest Waterway

Algal blooms can have a large impact on the area’s marine life, public health and tourism industry.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are monitoring an area disturbed weather that will move into the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico near Florida later this week. It now has a 50 percent chance of developing into a tropical system, and if it becomes a storm it would be named Tropical Storm Barry.

She issued them a challenge to do more than just look after themselves in times of storms, but to take the lead in helping their entire community.

Tiny plastic building blocks are spilled into oceans and waterways before they’re even made into plastic goods. Listen to Jace Tunnel, Texas Nurdle Specialist, on the American Shoreline Podcast. Pod link at the end of the story

Editor’s note: Jim McClintock, Ph.D., a professor of polar and marine biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is one of 25 nationwide scientists developing a definitive report on the effects of climate change and leads annual educational Climate Change Challenge cruises to Antarctica. This Op-Ed was originally written for Al.com.

Fecal matter, killer algae, too much water, not enough water—Florida's hydrological disaster is killing its legendary inshore fishing

For many beach-tourism businesses impacted by Hurricane Michael, this July 4th is an important

The commercial fishing industry on the gulf coast has seen two major disasters in the last 15 years: Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. Now, some fear we’re on the cusp of a third. The culprit: historic flooding from the Mississippi River.

There are times in this politically contentious period that commonsense legislation still manages to move forward through the congressional process. The Young Fishermen’s Development Act looks like it will be one of these bills that will make it to the finish line.

Two offshore workers have reportedly been killed in an incident aboard Shell’s Auger platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the first federally funded economic impact study of toxic algae blooms since 2006 and a proposal to increase funding for research into ways to mitigate or stop red tide outbreaks by $2 million to $12 million.

House Bill 578, sponsored by state Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, appropriates $700 million from the BP oil spill settlement to the connector project at La. 415, along with six other infrastructure bills statewide.

An invasive species of swamp eel has been found in New Orleans, and a state biologist says it's the first time this species has been found in the United States.

DESTIN — City, county, and health department officials are looking into a possible flesh-eating bacteria case that may have been contracted in the Gulf.

Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast – the tourism marketing organization for the state’s three coastal counties along the Gulf of Mexico – hosted an event for the tourism community to unveil a new name and new ad campaign designed to capitalize on today’s top tourism trends.

MANDEVILLE, Miss. — An outbreak of toxic bacteria is ruining some beach plans in Mississippi, where authorities are warning people not to swim or eat seafood from polluted coastal waters.

A new study suggests protection and adaptation against the rising sea levels could cost Louisiana $38 billion or more by 2040.

Nine months after the storm, more than 20,000 property claims remain outstanding in Florida.

A record 14-year-old oil leak off the coast of Louisiana is not releasing as much crude into the Gulf of Mexico as recent estimates suggest, but it's still spewing between 100 and 900 times more than claimed by the company involved in the incident, a study from NOAA and the Department of Commerce found yesterday.

As Davenport continues to recover from the most devastating flooding disaster in recent memory, the combined impact of flooding in cities along the Mississippi River is estimated to be more than $2 billion.

CNT – Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau just south of Tampa strikes gold and approves a record $13.2 million marketing budget for the 2020-21.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wrapping up Gasparilla Island Beach nourishment project

This Is The Second Time A Giant Squid Has Been Captured On Camera In Its Deepwater Habitat

It is a rare opportunity to be part of launching a new marine industry on the Texas coast, but thanks to state Rep. Todd Hunter, state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, the Texas Legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott, it is about to happen.

Last summer, a massive red tide algae bloom killed millions of marine animals on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It made people sick, kept thousands away from beaches and hurt local economies. What will happen now is a mystery.

This morning, the Fishery Monitoring Branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center released shrimp landings data from the Gulf of Mexico for May 2019.

Things could be looking a little better for Mikel May's Beachside Bar & Grill, as well as Nueces County, in the eyes of the federal government. The federal government reached out to county officials last year to let them know they were in violation of a nearly $750,000 grant that paid for improvements to Bob Hall Pier.

Phillips 66 is the newest player announcing their run in the race for offshore oil exports. And the Port of Corpus Christi is supporting the project after voicing strong opposition against a similar operation with Trafigura.

The UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON award is part of a $1.53 million grant from the Texas General Land Office to the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Orange Beach, Alabama has been asked to administer $475,000 of a $3 million Restore Act project studying hydrology and sediment in Perdido Bay from the U.S. 98 bridge in Lillian to the Gulf of Mexico.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District staff have executed a modification to the West Fork San Jacinto River Emergency Debris Removal Contract effective June 7.

SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA — Officials say event permits keep beaches from “getting out of hand.”

Public outcry over a proposed 17-ft wall and other physical barriers to prevent storm surge along the Texas coast has led the Army Corps of Engineers to switch gears. Now, the Corps will focus on more nature-based solutions such as beaches and sand dune systems.

Forecasters are expecting this year’s North Atlantic hurricane season to be roughly average, with about 14 named storms including six full-fledged hurricanes. Last week, the government finally dealt with the fallout from 2018, enacting a $19.1 billion relief package to help U.S. towns and cities still recovering from last year’s natural disasters. Even before that, 2018 had already drawn more emergency funding than any year since 2005, the costliest year on record.

HOUSTON — For Houston resident Scenacia Jones, the experience of getting her new home through an innovative way of building post-disaster housing was like an experiment.

At some 4,700 feet beneath the sea, marine scientists filmed a shrimp spew glowing matter, or bioluminescence, from its mouth.

The Town Commission and interested parties took in a presentation on what will be a completed plan in October.

HORN ISLAND, Miss. (WLOX) - Sunday marked 80 days that the Bonnet Carré Spillway has been open so far this year. The latest opening on May 10 was the second time this year, a first in the 88-year history of the spillway. During that time, trillions of gallons of fresh water from the Mississippi River has found its way into the saltwater environment of the Mississippi Sound.

NAVARRE BEACH, FL — For a fifth consecutive year, Navarre Beach likely will attract a record number of tourists this summer, if the off-season is any indication.

CRATER ISLAND, Wisc. -- There’s a 1.5-million-ton pile of sand in Wisconsin that should be in Louisiana.

Beach renourishment is almost complete in the Historic District area, with only a few odds and ends to tie up for a few days. Work on the south end is scheduled to begin this weekend.

CRATER ISLAND, Wis. — There’s a 1.5-million-ton pile of sand in Wisconsin that should be in Louisiana.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — In early July 2014, the Mississippi flooded downtown Davenport, turning its minor league baseball stadium into an island. It happened at a particularly bad time: just before a three-game Independence Day weekend series against upriver rivals from Wisconsin.

Critics push for changes in how the Army Corps prevents Mississippi River flooding in New Orleans

Collier County commissioners want to draw a line in the sand. Not a figurative line in the sand with the school board over money for school deputies or with the PACE providers over home improvement loans.

Open your checkbooks America, the fishing is not too good. (CNT)

A controversial $10 billion petrochemical project near Corpus Christi has achieved a major permitting milestone that will bring it a step closer to constructing the biggest petrochemical plant in Texas.

Rosenstiel School researcher Martin Grosell weighs in on how marine life in the Gulf could be affected by the longest continuous oil spill in U.S. history.

> Water is being diverted from historic Mississippi River flood to protect New Orleans, other areas. > Dolphin and sea turtle deaths are significant, experts say. > Freshwater diversion also affecting tourism, with fishing trips being canceled.

Hundreds of barges remain stalled on the Mississippi River, blocking the main artery of the Farm Belt economy that has been devastated by a spring season full of relentless torrential rains and the melting of record-setting snowfalls. Railroads and highways have been closed as well, limiting the amount of crops sent to market.

FLORIDA - Collier County commissioners on Tuesday gave the green light to a $5.5 million beach renourishment project that will send sand-hauling trucks to three beaches starting this fall.

This map by researchers at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, predicts the coverage of Gulf Coast waters by low-oxygen conditions on July 27. The thick black line shows the limits for the most probable areas showing hypoxic conditions. The university’s forecast actually calls for the hypoxia zone to expand to more than 10,000 miles in August, if no tropical weather causes mixing.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers usually waits until the spring floods have receded before dredging. This year, it’s making an exception.

Gov. Phil Bryant says he has requested that the federal government declare a fisheries disaster in Mississippi as mortality rates climb in the Mississippi Sound for dolphins, oysters and other marine life exposed to fresh water from the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana anglers are taking full advantage of the red snapper season that opened May 24.

PORT ISABEL— Flora Gunderson’s eyes filled with tears and her hands shook as she recalled the March 2005 day when she nearly lost her husband.

Work to restore two barrier islands and one barrier headland in the Terrebonne Basin is expected to begin in 2020.

W&T Offshore has announced an oil discovery at its first exploration well in 2019 at Gladden Deep in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi Canyon block 800. The discovery is in water of about 3,000 feet depth.

The Missouri Dept. of Transportation didn’t even have time to fully assess the damage to its roads and bridges from late winter flooding before the next round hit.

A study commissioned by King Ranch Inc. claims that projects like the one proposed by a Switzerland-based international commodities company off the Padre Island National Seashore are "safe and effective."