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March 13, 2007
Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) on populations of non-indigenous Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in southern Mississippi DOI. USGS. Florida Integrated Science Center.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina impacted coastal Mississippi with strong winds and an estimated 9-meter (30-foot) storm surge. Hurricane Rita followed less than a month later, and although its impact on coastal Mississippi was much less than that of Katrina, it reflooded much of the coastal ecosystem. Although these storms likely served to disperse Nile tilapia in southern Mississippi, the extent of the spread was unknown.
