EDGE Philadelphia

Oysters are a $217 million industry on the Gulf Coast. Louisiana and Texas account for 70 percent of the eastern species found in the Gulf and along the East Coast.

The upcoming harvest season may be lost. Oysters, which thrive in salt water, are dying in large numbers because of the fresh water that poured in from spillways opened to take pressure off levees protecting cities from the rising Mississippi River.

Sorrento Grille is an institution in the village of Laguna Beach, and one of its most beloved gathering places for over 20 years-it’s not only a landmark, but a delightful gastronomic experience.

Washington state is the nation’s leading producer of farmed oysters, clams and other bivalves with about $100 million in annual sales.But too much pollution from animal and human waste has been washing into Samish Bay in north Puget Sound.

A varied selection of prepared frozen products, such as lobster macaroni and cheese, lobster pot pie and lobster pizza, are making their way to grocery store freezers aimed at mainstream consumers - not just the white tablecloth crowd.

More than 200 gallons of clam chowder were ladled out to thousands of people at a contest called Chowderfest here on Sunday to determine who makes New England’s signature dish of clams, cream and potatoes the best.

Top-rated restaurants and well-known lobster roll purveyors from around the country will compete for the honor of Best Lobster Roll, with judges including Martha Stewart, Kyle MacLachlan, Harold Dieterle, and others.

Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is being put under the microscope like no other kind on the market, with fish, shrimp and other catches ground up to hunt for minute traces of oil - far more reassuring than that sniff test that made all the headlines.

Shrimp, grouper, tuna and other seafood snatched from the fringes of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico are safe to eat, according to a federal agency inspecting the catch.

The first line of defense began with closing a third of federal waters to fishing and hundreds more square-miles of state waters. Now comes the nose.