Marine Education Center

Marine Education Center

The Marine Education Center works across The University of Southern Mississippi’s Coastal Operations to engage members of diverse communities in ocean sciences, promoting careers and fostering community involvement through formal and informal education programs that provide participants with a better understanding of the Gulf of Mexico.

Plan Your Visit

Innovative Field-Based Educational Experience

The center promotes understanding of coastal and marine science within the public sector and provides the tools coastal residents can use to become more effective stewards and advocates for the Gulf of Mexico through innovative, field-based educational experiences. A visit to the Marine Education Center takes visitors through different coastal habitats including the sensitive transition from forested bayhead to tidal marsh as seen from the pedestrian suspension bridge on campus. 

Our Programs

MEC programs reflect coastal science research conducted within the Gulf of Mexico and provide participants with a better understanding of the Gulf. Teachers bring their students to the MEC for an outdoor, immersive program knowing the experience can have a profound impact on a young person’s life, sparking an interest in a STEM career.

Summer Camp 2023 Registration Now Open!

Summer Camps at the Marine Education Center offer an adventure in learning on the Mississippi Gulf Coast each year. Week-long camps are available for rising 1st - 12th graders. Sea Camp for 1st - 6th graders is back in 2023 with the "Magic of the Ocean" theme, Shark Fest will venture out into the Gulf of Mexico for an elasmobranch expedition, Angler Camp will catch some fishy facts this summer, Island Adventure Camp will take campers on a learning expedition across coastal Mississippi, and welcome back Ocean Science and Technology Camp where campers will learn all about innovative research in the ocean sciences! Information below in Camps menu.