BILOXI - A majority of beaches along the Mississippi coastline will be closed for the Fourth of July weekend due to a fast-spreading algal bloom plaguing the gulf coast.

According to Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality, 19 of the state's 21 gulf coast beaches will be closed due to the potentially toxic bluish-green algae.

A similar algal bloom was reported in Lake Pontchartrain in June. Health officials said the algae can be harmful to people who come into contact with it, causing rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. High exposures of toxins associated with the algae can potentially affect the liver and nervous system.

The spread of the algae has been attributed in-part to the Bonnet Carre Spillway having been open for a historically long time to relieve pressure on levees from the flooded Mississippi River.

You can find the full list of closures here: https://opcgis.deq.state.ms.us/beaches/