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Communities on Florida’s Gulf Coast are organizing clean up efforts in preparation of oil reaching their beaches. While clean up crews wait and pray, fishermen are catching as much as they can. As Whitney Ray tells us, the uncertainty has thousands of them fearing for their future.

The harvest is on to boat as many oysters as possible in case oil floods the Apalachicola Bay smothering oyster beds. Shrimpers like Elmer Clark are in the same boat.

“We are doing everything we can to catch everything we can,” said Clark.

Oysterman Toby Dalton is taking a different approach. Instead of kicking his operation into overdrive, he’s helping emergency workers lay boom in the bay.

“I could have went out today and made 150 dollars but I’m giving that up, not worrying about that to try and get this diverted. I’ve bills to pay just like anybody else, but right now this is more important,” said Dalton.

The oil in the Gulf is still days away from Apalachicola, but it’s already hurting seafood distributors. Oyster harvesting has stopped in Louisiana, driving up the price.

“We not getting in what we need to be able to send them out, plus the price is up out there which makes it more here,” said Bobby Hill with Water Street Seafood.

It’s not just the seafood industry paying the price; people from all around the world are cancelling their Florida vacations which is costing rental companies, restaurants, and souvenir shops millions of dollars.

The question on everyone’s mind; how long until Florida’s tide stops bringing in fresh ocean water, and starts washing up oil?

Changing winds have now pushed the oil slick 60 miles from Escambia County’s coastline. If the weather holds the oil may not make landfall in Florida until next week.