Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
GCRL Science Café
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Tagging and Tracking Mississippi Sport Fish
Photo Credit: Captain Kyle Johnson, Coastal Waters Outfitters
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
This month’s Science Café is comprised of four 12 minute presentations centered on fish tagging research being conducted on local species of great importance in the Mississippi recreational fishery: Spotted Seatrout, Red Drum, Southern Flounder and Tripletail. It is presented by scientific staff of the USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Finfish Bureau, and the Gulf Stated Marine Fisheries Commission. Join us to hear about these ongoing studies that include the use of conventional and electronic tagging techniques to help advance understanding of fish movements and habitats in support of resource management and conservation.
Organized by the USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development as part of the Cooperative Sport Fish Tag and Release Program funded by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Sport Fish Restoration Program.
Presenters
Dyan Gibson
Fisheries Biologist, USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development
Tagging Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout in Mississippi Coastal Waters, 2019 – 2021: Overview
Steve VanderKooy
Fisheries Biologist, Interjurisdictional Fisheries Program Coordinator, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
Acoustic Tracking of Tripletail in the Gulf of Mexico
Jennifer Green
Fisheries Biologist, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources – Finfish Bureau
Movements of Southern Flounder in Mississippi Sound
Eric Gigli
Fisheries Biologist, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources – Finfish Bureau
Satellite Tagging and Real-time Tracking of Tripletail
Special “Thanks” to the sponsor of the Science Café, MS-AL Sea Grant and to USM’s Marine Education Center for tech support.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
Webinar ID: 853 6408 7030
Password: 74829441
___________________________________
Presenter
Mark W. LaSalle, Ph.D.
Naturalist and Wetland Ecologist
Shifting Baseline Syndrome – Implications for Habitat
Habitat restoration efforts are based on achieving baseline conditions that we determine are natural or the norm. But baseline is often established on conditions that may no longer be normal or current where restoration is planned, reflecting how local and regional environments may have changed over time. This is the essence of the concept of “shifting baseline syndrome”, our deference to conditions that may be normal in our lifetime but may have been quite different in the past or have been altered in the present. Understanding and considering how target conditions may have shifted are crucial to successful habitat restoration projects.
Pop-up Café
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
Webinar ID: 831 9783 7425
Password: 10547643
International numbers available: Here
___________________________________
Presenter
Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox
Fisheries Management Specialist and CEO of Blue Shell Productions
Sargassum - Brown Tide or Golden Jewel?
Massive influxes of floating sargassum seaweed have been impacting shorelines on both sides of the tropical Atlantic for the last decade. 2018 saw record breaking quantities of pelagic sargassum reaching the Caribbean, with 20 million metric tons reaching the region in June alone. The seaweed itself is not harmful; floating sargassum at sea is beneficial as a unique habitat. It is the large floating mats clogging fishing gear and impeding navigation at sea, and the mass stranding on coastlines and ensuing decomposition that is highly detrimental to people, ecosystems, and economies. Join us at the Science Café to hear more about what sargassum is, where it’s coming from, how we predict its arrival, and how it can be turned into an opportunity.
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
6 p.m.
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
Webinar ID: 829 1861 6343
Password: 81957849
___________________________________
Presenter
Nadine Phillips
Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
The Magic of Nature & Forest Therapy
Join us to learn more about connecting to the natural world through Nature and Forest Therapy practices. Deeply rooted in the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest -air bathing,” Forest Therapy is an evidence-based public health practice considered to be a natural remedy to reduce stress and a pathway to a happier, healthier, and more rewarding life. Guided Forest Therapy experiences combine a specific blend of complementary sensory, physical, and mental exercises in suitable forest surroundings. This beneficial practice is backed by significant medical and scientific research, and the abundance of health benefits are wide-reaching. Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Nadine Phillips will share more about the background, research, and beneficial results of this relaxing practice and how to invite more nature connection into your everyday life.Tuesday, January 25, 2022
6 p.m.
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
Webinar ID: 831 5472 0302
Password: 09822306
___________________________________
Presenter
Michael
Andres
Assistant Research Professor
Division of Coastal Sciences
The University of Southern Mississippi
Gulf Sturgeon: Hidden Giants of Our Coastal Rivers.
Sturgeon are one of the oldest extant lineages of fish and also one of the most interesting. Gulf Sturgeon are a protected species in habiting coastal drainages in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Mississippi’s waters Gulf Sturgeon have spawning populations in the Pearl and Pascagoula rivers, which also happen to be some of the most understudied river systems for this species and happen to be the two systems where the species has been slowest to show signs of recovery. This species makes seasonal migrations between coastal rivers (where they can even be seen jumping!) to estuarine and marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Virtual Café
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
6 p.m.
You are invited to a zoom webinar. Click the link below to join!
Webinar ID: 879 9666 4499
Password: 98546663
___________________________________
Presenter
Mandy Sartain
Bats, bugs, and burns...
oh my!
Bats are elusive, often misunderstood, flying mammals that come in a diversity of sizes, colors, diet palate, and habitat preferences. These amazing creatures play crucial roles within ecosystems such as natural pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. Unfortunately, bats face many threats including habitat destruction and negative perceptions from people. Many of the bat species flying throughout the Mississippi coast roost in forested areas that are often managed by prescribed fire in efforts to improve overall forest habitat quality and increase biodiversity.