While the foundation gave the bay a “B” for water quality, it gave the bay a “D” for pollution, citing old toxic dumps and recent oil spills that could threaten wildlife and the safety of seafood.
The bay also received a “D” for wildlife, which the report said had deteriorated over the years. Particularly hard-hit are oysters, which Stokes says have been depleted because of over-fishing, drought and Hurricane Ike that covered reefs with sediment.
The report’s overall grade for the Bay was a “C.”
To learn more, we talk with Stokes and Erin Kinney from HARC — Houston Advanced Research Center.
MORE: Galveston Bay Oysters Under Assault, Gets Bad Grade For Pollution (News 88.7, Aug. 12, 2015)