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Biloxi Bay oyster reefs to reopen Wednesday

By Kate Magandy

kmagandy@sunherald.com
Oyster fishermen tong the waters of Biloxi Bay at Shearwater Reef off the coast of Ocean Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The reefs are opening back up after closing Nov. 9 because of rainfall.
Oyster fishermen tong the waters of Biloxi Bay at Shearwater Reef off the coast of Ocean Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The reefs are opening back up after closing Nov. 9 because of rainfall. John Fitzhugh jcfitzhugh@sunherald.com

Two oyster reefs in the Biloxi Bay that closed Nov. 9 because of excessive rainfall will reopen Wednesday.

The reefs officially will reopen at legal sunrise after samples taken by Mississippi Department of Marine Resources showed the reefs could be reopened, according to Melissa Scallan, department spokeswoman.

The reefs, which had been closed for more than 50 years, opened Nov. 1 to oyster tonging.

In addition, the Commission on Marine Resources voted Tuesday to open reefs in the western portion of the Mississippi Sound from Thursday to Tuesday, Nov. 22. Those reefs will be open to tonging and dredging.

Kate Magandy: 228-896-2344, @kmagandy

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Biloxi Bay oyster reefs to reopen Wednesday."

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