Our programs
A brief summary of several of our projects can be found below. Click “REad more” below a project to learn more!
MS BARRIER ISLAND CLEANUP INITIATIVE
Funded in partnership with the U.S. National Park Service, MSCCP will host volunteer-based cleanups on the Gulf Islands National Seashore barrier islands. Volunteers will have opportunities to help us remove…
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Incorporating In Situ Wave Data Into A Living Shoreline Suitability Model For Biloxi Back Bay
About the Project Shoreline erosion is a growing problem on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and other coastal regions. The traditional approach to erosion mitigation is shoreline hardening in the form…
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Native Plant Producer Network
During this project, we will host workshops for producers, students, and community members to attend and learn about our local wetlands. Demonstration sites will be constructed at Coastal Research and…
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Plastic degredation and Fragmentation through terrestial and Aquatic Environments
This study aims to expose plastics to different sequences of terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater environments to gain knowledge on rates of degradation as litter travels from land to aquatic habitats.…
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Using Stable Isotope Tracers to Determine Source Contributions in Back Bay, MS
The goal of this project is to use stable isotope tracers to determine which habitat is the primary source contributor within Back Bay. By using Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur stable…
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Factors Influencing Quality of Citizen Science-Collected Litter Data and the Retention of Recruited Citizen Scientists
The goal of this project is to further understand how external factors could affect the accuracy of citizen science (such as training level and background knowledge) and potentially influence participation…
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Biological and Physical Factors Affecting Southern Oyster Drill Abundance
Half of the sites are characterized by coarse sediment (sand) and the other half have fine sediment (clay/silt). To investigate how concentrations of oysters may impact densities of southern oyster…
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Trends in Oyster Health, Predation Mitigation Techniques, and Concerns Identified by Oyster Practitioners
Surveys have been a helpful tool for researchers to access knowledge within stakeholder communities surrounding environmental issues. Oyster farming and harvesting in coastal Mississippi and Alabama have experienced issues with…
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Effects of Structural Design on Oyster Survival in Artificial Reefs
As part of DARPA: REEFENSE, this project examines the relationship of oyster and predator responses to design variance in artificial reef structures. Eastern oysters are a valuable ecosystem engineer for…
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The Response of Bats and Their Insect Prey to Different Coastal Upland Habitat Management Techniques
Declining bat populations necessitates a need to understand how different land management techniques influence bat activity. This study assessed the influences of different coastal upland habitat management techniques, such as…
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Identifying Fecal Contamination Sources in the Grand NERR
The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR) has chronically elevated fecal coliform counts; however, the source of the contamination is unknown. Images of Enterococcus which is a fecal indicator…
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Impacts of Marine Debris on Salt Marsh Habitat
This study aims to assess the impacts of marine debris on a black needlerush (Juncus Roemerianus) salt marsh. Debris items (discarded crab traps and solid pvc sheets) were placed in…
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Microplastics in MS Bayous
Microplastic samples are taken from Bayou Chico and Bayou Heron over the span of four seasons. These samples, consisting of water and sediment, are taken from the same upstream and…
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Accuracy of Structure-from-Motion derived digital elevation models and species-specific correction methods
Structure-from-Motion technology presents a more accessible alternative to LIDAR. The combination of SfM technology and UASs allows researchers to capture high accuracy data at a reasonable cost. With increased accessibility,…
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The impacts of nearshore oyster habitat restoration on salt marsh stabilization, secondary productivity, and oyster recruitment
This study will evaluate the fulfillment of restoration goals by addressing knowledge gaps in post construction monitoring and monitoring scope through a GNDNERR restoration project. Two large-scale oyster reef projects…
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Influence of Boat Activity on Wave Climate in a Semi-Enclosed Estuary
In this study, site-specific wave measurements are being used to compare wind-protected and open sites in Back Bay, Mississippi. Preliminary results demonstrate that some protected sites experienced similar or greater…
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The Influence of Wave Energy on Shoreline Type and Vegetation
This project will build upon previous studies by using site-specific (i.e., local) wave energy measurements to evaluate the responses of several shoreline plant species to variations in wave climate. Completion…
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DIY Wave Gauges
The subsequent DIY wave gauges utilize a combination of housing components found at home improvement stores and high-performance, yet affordable, electrical components. The DIY wave gauges accomplished acceptable to near…
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Testing the ability of Mississippi marsh plants to grow in recycled glass sand
Ansley Levine has set up an outdoor tidal mesocosm experiment to compare the growth of two common Mississippi marsh plants (saltmeadow hay and black needlerush) in various mixtures of glass…
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DARPA REEFENSE
The goal of this project is to design a general mosaic oyster habitat design and incorporate site-specific information to apply this design to Tyndall Air Force Base Panama City, Florida…
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The Forgotten Forest: Habitat Assessment of Eroded Forest, Marsh, and Beach Shorelines
This study uses paired seine nets to sample the edge and non-edge nekton communities located at these three defined shoreline types. For the study four blocks were established with each…
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Back Bay Living Shoreline Construction and Monitoring
This project involves the construction of a 2.5 mile living shoreline using marsh sill, a low-profile structure filled with sand, along with native plants and segmented breakwaters in order to…
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Sustainability of Current and Future Shoreline Solutions Under Rising Sea Level Scenarios
The goal of this project is to understand the extent of shoreline hardening and its implications on ecosystem services throughout Mobile Bay tributaries and how small scale shoreline conservation and…
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Living Shorelines
For this program, we work directly with property owners, contractors, nurseries, and regulatory agencies to help increase the knowledge base and streamline the processes associated with implementing living shoreline projects.…
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Plastic Free Gulf Coast
The long term vision of Plastic Free Gulf Coast is to support building a green economy that can expand as consumers begin to use and request alternatives to plastic, including…
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Derelict Trap Reward Program
Registered Mississippi shrimpers that participate in the program can dispose of derelict traps that they encounter during regular fishing efforts in exchange for a monetary reward. The goal of this…
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Derelict Vessel Removal and Assessment
Through this multi-year project the team is removing large marine debris items from coastal and marine habitats in the Gulf of Mexico, specifically derelict and abandoned vessels. Activities include the…
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Deer Island Marine Debris Mapping and Removal
The primary objective of the initiative is to regularly map and monitor the distribution of marine debris on Deer Island using drone surveys. Once a month, drone images are analyzed…
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Conservation Grazing
The overarching goal of this project is to develop a research plan that will inform the ultimate decision of if, when, where, and how to implement conservation grazing into land…
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MS Inland Cleanup
The Mississippi Inland Cleanup Program (MSICP) is a litter education, awareness, & prevention initiative that aims to serve the community through cleanup events, outreach, and research. This program is sponsored…
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MS Coastal Cleanup
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program (MSCCP) is a non-profit educational program that promotes the conservation of the local marine environment by facilitating active stewardship within coastal Mississippi. The MSCCP mission…
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Plan-it Dunes & Plan-It Marsh
This program aims to provide high schools in the Gulf Coast & southeastern U.S. with the supplies and expertise to restore native dune habitat. Participating schools will be provided with…
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MS Master Naturalist
The Master Naturalist Program provides natural resource training to individuals in exchange for outreach and service educational efforts in natural resources and environmental awareness programs in your community.
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