Beach Advisories Issued Along Multiple Mississippi Gulf

Several Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches are currently under water contact advisories after elevated bacteria levels were detected in recent testing conducted through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s Beach Monitoring Program.

Affected areas have recently included portions of Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and Bay St. Louis. Officials are advising the public to avoid entering the water in impacted areas due to an increased risk of illness associated with bacterial contamination.

According to MDEQ, the advisories are typically triggered when Enterococcus bacteria levels exceed safe thresholds. These bacteria are commonly associated with fecal contamination and can increase after heavy rainfall, runoff, sewer issues, or other environmental conditions. Exposure may increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness, skin irritation, respiratory infections, and other health problems.

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Officials stressed that the beaches themselves are not fully closed, meaning people may still use the sand and surrounding areas, but direct water contact is discouraged until testing shows bacteria levels have returned to acceptable standards. Beaches are re tested approximately every 24 hours once advisories are issued.

The Mississippi Beach Monitoring Program continues to publish updated advisories and lifted warnings through its public monitoring system.