The extent of the environmental damage inflicted on the southern US states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama began to emerge yesterday with reports of an entire group of islands disappearing, serious oil slicks and the potential ruin of the seafood industry.

Immediate concern centred on Louisiana's heavy industrial area. Katrina flooded many of the 140 large petrochemical works that line the Mississippi river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and little assessment has been done of the damage.

Initial aerial reconnaissance by the environmental protection agency suggests no serious chemical damage but has revealed several large oil spills.
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"The 40-mile long Chandeleur chain of barrier islands off the Louisiana coast which used to protect the delta from storm surges have pretty well gone," said Laurence Rouse, of the oceanography department at Louisiana State University.

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More than 500 sewerage systems were damaged across Louisiana.

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Damage to the oyster, crab and shrimp industries, one of the major employers on the coast, is thought to have been extensive.

The storm surge wrecked many boats, harbours and warehouses and destroyed breeding grounds. The Gulf is home to more than 80% of oysters grown in the United States and is the centre of the shrimp industry.
But the industry may be further hit by the tide of industrial pollution which will be flushed down the Mississippi over the next few weeks.