Free Marine Careers Expo for High School Students
Ocean Springs—The J.L. Scott Marine Education Center will host a free marine careers expo for high school students Saturday, Jan. 19, at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
The expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will introduce students in ninth through 12th grades to a broad spectrum of marine–related careers. Parents are welcomed to attend.
This event kicks off a new line of programs celebrating the Marine Education Center’s designation as the nation’s 21st Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, an honor that garnered national attention when First Lady Laura Bush visited in November.
The expo will give students the opportunity to meet professionals and career counselors in marine-related fields. Participants can register for one of four field trips: kayaking Davis Bayou, trawling aboard GCRL’s R/V McIlwain, taking a pontoon ride to Deer Island aboard GCRL’s R/V Sea Explorer, or taking a behind-the-scenes tour at a marine aquaculture facility.
Students will receive free canvas book bags filled with donated items from participating agencies. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Vernon Asper, oceanographer and Antarctic explorer, followed by sessions with professionals in marine-related fields.
The expo is sponsored by the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Coastal Conservation Association Mississippi and Allen Beverages of Gulfport.
Space is limited and pre-registration is required by 5 p.m., Jan.17. To register or for more information contact Michael Carley, 228.818.8884 or michael.carley@usm.edu
For a map and driving directions, log onto www.usm.edu/gcrl/location/index.php
The J.L. Scott Marine Education Center is the education and outreach arm of The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
The mission of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi's marine laboratory, is scientific discovery related to coastal and marine resources, development of new marine technologies, and the education of future scientists and citizens.
A trawling trip aboard the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory’s R/V McIlwain is one of four field trips offered as part of the Marine Careers Expo for high school students, Jan. 19, at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. (Southern Miss Public Relations file photo)
Antarctic explorer Dr. Vernon Asper of The University of Southern Mississippi will be the keynote speaker at the Marine Careers Expo for high school students, Jan. 19, at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. (Southern Miss Public Relations file photo)