Georgia Shrimp Under Siege
Black gill is a fairly common disorder in the Georgia shrimp that live in the shoreline waters from Savannah to St. Marys. It is not a disease, but rather is caused by an organism entering the shrimp’s body. It tarnishes the look of the food, though it isn’t harmful to the humans who eat it.
Scientists say shrimping is about a $20 million-a-year industry on Georgia’s coast, and they are hoping to find ways of reducing the threat of black gill. Pictured: Inspecting and studying shrimp and other marine life on the research vessel Savannah.
Above: inspecting and studying shrimp and other marine life on the research vessel Savannah.
Learn more about black gill in this month’s Georgia Trend feature Savannah: Stretching Out.
Above Photo: Georgia shrimp show evidence of black gill.
Photo credit: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography.
