Alabama Marine Resources Division

09/02/2026

***COMMERCIAL OYSTER HARVESTERS***
Alabama Oyster Community Meeting is scheduled for September 9th, click the link below for details.

Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

08/12/2026

***DELTA PORT UPDATE AND NEW PICTURE***

The Delta Port boat launch will reopen Friday, August 14th. For those who were unable to use the ramp while it was closed thank you for your patience. Public access locations are limited along Alabama’s coast, and we recognize any boat ramp closure disrupts the plans of people who want access to our waters. Therefore, we try to time ramp repairs and renovation projects such that those projects cause the least disruption to the public. However, we need to space projects throughout the year to ensure staff are able to effectively monitor them. In addition, the timing and duration of ramp construction projects is further affected by factors such as permit approval, availability of funding and contractors, and weather which are out of our control.

08/07/2026

**Click the Article for more info.**
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) was recently awarded $7.1 million in Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) funds for the project: Improving Resilience for Oysters by Linking Brood Reefs and Sink Reefs. The project aims to increase oyster abundance and restore resilience to oyster populations by increasing reef connectivity through larval transport and the construction of oyster reefs over a range of habitats and salinities.

Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

08/04/2026

****** UPDATE: DELTA PORT REOPENING TIMEFRAME ******
The Delta Port Boat Ramp, located at 5080 Green Drive, Coden is expected to reopen at or before Friday August 14th as it was postponed due to weather delays. The improvements include extending the concrete apron in front of the ramp, creating an asphalt lane to connect the new concrete area to Green Drive, and increasing the elevation of the existing handicap parking space. This work is being done to reduce pothole formation and improve drainage within the property. Funding for this project will come from Sport Fish Restoration Program funds (75% ) and saltwater fishing license revenue.

07/22/2026

The Gulf Council would like to gain a better understanding of what’s happening with red snapper in the Gulf. The Council recognizes that as active fishermen, you may notice trends or interesting things that the scientists and managers may not be aware of yet.

We rely on your on-the-water expertise to guide our current understanding of the red snapper stock. The information you provide through our Fisherman Feedback Tool will help to inform scientists and managers as they conduct and review a stock assessment on red snapper.

Fisheries management recommendations made by the Gulf Council are based on scientific stock assessments, social and economic factors, and advice from our stakeholders. The Council relies on advice from fisherman and other constituents as it formulates an understanding of the fishery and develops the...

07/20/2026

Click the link and read the article related to Common Snook now starting to be a target species for anglers in Alabama. Dr. Martin with Dauphin Island Sea Lab is working on compiling information on Common Snook to better understand them and their behavior.

Dr. Martin is asking Alabama anglers who encounter snook to report their catches. Anglers can report catches by emailing [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].

When reporting a catch, anglers should include:

Approximate date of the catch
General location
Estimated size of the fish
A photo, if available

07/17/2026

****** ATTENTION ******
The Delta Port Boat Ramp, located at 5080 Green Drive, Coden, will undergo improvements beginning Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The improvements include extending the concrete apron in front of the ramp, creating an asphalt lane to connect the new concrete area to Green Drive, and increasing the elevation of the existing handicap parking space. This work is being done to reduce pothole formation and improve drainage within the property. The ramp and fishing pier will be closed during construction which is anticipated to end on Friday, August 7, 2026. Funding for this project will come from Sport Fish Restoration Program funds (75% ) and saltwater fishing license revenue.

07/09/2026

Important Notice!

🚨ADCNR is launching a modernized licensing platform on July 16! To transition records securely, the entire licensing system will be completely offline from July 13 – July 15.

NO LICENSES WILL BE AVAILABLE at any location during this blackout period, including vendor locations such as Walmart, BassPro Shops, and Academy Sports + Outdoors, as well as local probate offices.

If you need a license during the upgrade, please plan ahead and purchase one before July 13. Then, get ready to claim your new dashboard on July 16 at MyOutdoorAlabama.com!

To learn more, visit https://outdooralabama.com/MyOutdoorAlabama

07/01/2026

Happy International Joke Day! But this happened today for real South of Orange Beach near some of our other large artificial reefs ships. This is the Argosy VI casino barge. Details to come on our posted public reef maps in the future once it fully settles underwater.

04/30/2026

Reminder Alabama State Waters Temporarily Close for Commercial and Recreational Sh*****ng May 1-June1. See details below:

Pursuant to Section 9-12-46, Code of Alabama as stated by Rule 220-3-.01, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that as of 6 a.m., Friday, May 1, 2026, all inside waters will close for commercial and recreational shrimp harvesting. All inside waters, not permanently closed by law or regulation, will reopen to shrimp harvest at 6 a.m., on Monday, June 1, 2026.

Inside waters are defined in rule 220-3-.04 as all waters north of a line extending from the Florida-Alabama line westward along the shore to Alabama Point; from there along the Baldwin County beaches of the Gulf of Mexico to the intersection with the Territorial Sea Line on Fort Morgan Peninsula, known as Mobile Point (30°-13.46’N, 088°-01.72’W); from there following the Territorial Sea Line across the mouth of Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island (30°-14.77’N, 088°-04.48’W); from there along the Dauphin Island beaches of the Gulf of Mexico to the intersection with the Territorial Sea Line on the west point of Dauphin Island (30°-13.72’N, 088°-19.81’W); from there following the Territorial Sea Line southwest to the intersection with the Alabama-Mississippi state line (30°-12.82’N, 088°-23.54’W).

Licensed live bait dealers are reminded that the taking of live bait north of a line beginning at the northern shore of East Fowl River running along the northern edge of the Fowl River Channel to marker number two in the Fowl River Channel then southeasterly to Middle Bay Light and then northeasterly to Great Point Clear is prohibited during this closure except by permit holders in the Special Permit Area in the Mobile Ship Channel. Recreational shrimp vessels possessing a Special Live Bait Permit may only take one gallon of shrimp per boat per day.

Special Live Bait Area Permits are only available at the Marine Resources office on Dauphin Island. For more information, call (251) 861-2882.

Photo description: shrimp boat at the dock.