What's In Our Water?

What is in our water? Is seafood safe to eat after the oil leak?

Those are two big questions you and many other people may be asking.

A forum is being held Friday night to help provide some answers.

One of the speakers will be Dr. George Crozier, the Executive Director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. A big topic will be the issue of oil in the seafood.

Crozier said, "It takes time for this stuff to move up the food chain."

So, for now, are fish and shrimp safe to eat?

Crozier said, "I don't think there's a problem with the fin-fish. The shrimp, I don't believe, have any contact with the oil."

He said that's because there's no data indicating oil is sinking to the bottom where shrimp live.

What about oysters and crabs?

Crozier said they eat almost anything and "neither of them have the organs to get rid of these toxic contaminants, so, they do tend to bio-acculuate, and, so, there is a little more concern with oysters and crabs."

So should we eat oysters and crabs?

Crozier said, "People make fun of the sensory test, but, if it smells oily, I wouldn't eat it."

But, he said, its important to remember "this dispersed oil is not gone. It is still here and we don't know if its still toxic or not."

So, the big questions may be about seafood safety in future years.

Crozier said there could be a long term problem with seafood because of bio-magnified compounds, but that any problem is generations away.

The forum starts at 6pm and takes place at USA Baldwin County's Performance Center.