Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program

05/29/2026

🐦🐡This week, our interns prepared for GRITS Camp with hands-on training and plenty of new experiences! From seining and boat trailering to soldering and bird banding, they built practical skills they’ll use throughout the program! CCR interns also got the chance to practice teaching our MFE counterparts some of the skills they’ve learned along the way.

All birds were handled under proper permits.

05/28/2026

As part of monitoring the Keesler Living Shoreline Project, our team is collecting data along 2.5 miles of shoreline from Hiller Park to Keesler Air Force Base both before and after the living shoreline installation. This monitoring allows us to track how living shorelines influence fish abundance, shoreline elevation, and vegetation cover over time.

Leslie and her team are also using cameras to monitor and identify bird species utilizing the area, while conducting vegetation surveys to document plant species and estimate percent cover at each survey site. The data collected will not only contribute to Leslie’s thesis research, but also help demonstrate the effects living shorelines can have on marsh vegetation and habitat use.

05/27/2026

☀Please help us welcome Samantha Hallett to the CCR family! She will be helping with our GRITS summer camps as an intern.

“I was born and raised in Brandon, Mississippi, but Perdido Key, Florida has always felt like my second home. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the beach, where I became fascinated by marine life and developed a strong desire to learn more about the coastal environment. I am currently a senior at Mississippi State University studying Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture with a concentration in Science, and I plan to graduate in December 2026. I am excited to be working with the CCR for the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a field I have long been passionate about but have had limited access to while living in a landlocked area.”

We’re so excited to have you on the team, Samantha!

05/26/2026

🌾Last Friday, students from Gulfport Central Middle School spent the day exploring coastal conservation by planting native marsh grasses along a shoreline to help protect it from coastal erosion.

🪶After their field experience, they returned to the Coastal Research and Extension Center to dive into the fascinating world of Mississippi Gulf Coast bird species! Students learned about a variety of birds common to our coastal ecosystems, exploring topics like bird adaptations, call identification, diets, and other unique traits that help distinguish different species. It was a day full of learning, discovery, and making connections between habitat restoration and the birds that depend on these coastal habitats!

05/22/2026

Thank you to the Pascagoula River Basin Alliance for inviting Kaitlyn to speak at your monthly meeting about our Native Plant Producer Program! She shared how we are helping bridge the gap between the growing need for locally sourced wetland plants for shoreline projects and the limited availability of these plants by building a network of local producers dedicated to growing native wetland grasses and plants. This collaborative effort helps ensure that the right plants are readily available when shoreline restoration projects arise.

After the presentation, attendees toured our growing greenhouse filled with native wetland grasses and other native plants that support healthy coastal ecosystems.

You can learn more about the Native Plant Producer Program Network at msucoastal.com/nppn

05/20/2026

Upcoming volunteer opportunity on May 30th!

Do not forget to register for our upcoming beach cleanup at Pascagoula Beach Park on May 30 from 8:00 to 9:30 AM!!!

This volunteer opportunity takes place just before Sand Jam – Forces of Nature, so you can start your day by helping clean the beach and then stay to enjoy a fun celebration of the natural world around us.

Sand Jam – Forces of Nature is a free annual summer event celebrating Mississippi’s native wildlife, environment, and heritage. Help us kick things off by removing litter from the beach and making a positive impact before the festivities begin.

This is a family-friendly event, and all ages are welcome!

Event Details:
⏰Saturday, May 30, 2026, 8:00 am- 9:30 am
📍Pascagoula Beach Park, Pascagoula, MS
🏖️Join us at the beach for a cleanup event to kick off Sand Jam 2026. All cleanup supplies are provided.

✅Please register here: https://forms.gle/7MJVaYPSPHe7hBicA or by visiting our webpage at msucoastal.com/coastal-cleanup/

05/19/2026

Help us give a warm welcome to one of our newest Extension Program Assistants, Otis Woolfolk!

“Hi, I’m Otis. I’m a Florida native with Jamaican heritage. With this in mind, it’s even weirder to learn that I didn’t have much easy access to nature, especially the ocean, growing up. I had to fight for my chances, whether through school field trips, Boy Scouts, or Pathfinders. Like any nature-hungry kid in my area, I did my best to stay connected to the outdoors.

That passion found a greater purpose when I started volunteering and attending nature-based outreach activities. As I grew older and began my college career, I transitioned into leading these events and teaching others about coastal conservation and restoration in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.”

We are excited to have Otis on our team and can’t wait to see the impact he will make through outreach, education, and coastal stewardship!

05/18/2026

🌊 Please help us welcome Lauren Kegley to the CCR family! 🌊

“Naturally, growing up on the Mississippi coast instilled in me a love for all things having to do with the water. I studied Marine Science with an emphasis in Hydrography at the University of Mississippi and then had the pleasure of working for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.”

We’re so excited to have you on the team, Lauren!

05/15/2026

Students from East Central Middle School spent the day exploring coastal conservation in action! The group toured the historic Lewis House, former home of artist Walter Anderson, before getting hands on experience helping plant a living shoreline to reduce erosion impacting the property.

After a successful planting, students visited the Coastal Research and Extension Center where they toured our greenhouse, learned about native pollinator plants and local species, explored how heat is distributed across campus, and played an interactive timeline game connecting sea level changes through history to major pop culture events. It was a fun and engaging day of learning about the connections between people, place, and our changing coast!

05/14/2026

Our team is currently in Texas taking part in NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP), a nationwide effort focused on tracking and understanding marine debris along shorelines across the country. 🌎🌊

This long term survey includes 10 regions across the United States, with 62 monitoring sites in each region surveyed throughout the year. Our team oversees monitoring efforts in three of those regions, spanning coastlines from North Carolina all the way to Texas.

By documenting the types, amounts, and locations of debris over time, we are helping build a clearer picture of how marine debris impacts our coastlines and where cleanup and prevention efforts are needed most.