Louisiana bears the burden of Mississippi River runoff

CYPREMORT POINT, La. — Thomas Olander has watched his shrimp catch shrink over the last 15 years. It’s not just the abundance of Louisiana shrimp; Olander said that the average size of the crustacean has also shrunk. In the past, shrimpers could expect the crustaceans to grow throughout the spring season, which starts in May in Louisiana waters and generally runs through July. “Since we’ve been dealing with this ‘dead zone,’” said Olander. “We’re not seeing that growth no more.” The dead zone is a stretch along the shallows of...