TPWD releases video on the oyster season shutdown due to red tide. A fresh Video News Release is now available on our FTP site. One of the longest outbreaks of Red Tide in Texas history may be letting up in some areas along the coast but not in time to save this season’s $30-million dollar Texas oyster industry. The red tide blow comes after 2010’s BP oil spill and 2008’s Hurricane Ike destroyed 60 percent of the oysters in Galveston Bay. Now the ongoing drought is causing high salinity levels in Texas bays and disease in many shellfish. One shining light – oyster reef restoration efforts continue and unharvested oysters today will have a chance to filter out toxins and spawn in the spring. See the link at http://youtu.be/FPf94_Mi1rE For a high resolution download, click on http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/files/video/  JANUARYVNR_Oyster SeasonShutdown_split.mov.