School of Ocean Science and Engineering
About > Overview
2021 Coastal Operations Annual Report
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The School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) harnesses elements from key areas of The University of Southern Mississippi, including the Division of Marine Science (DMS) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) in Ocean Springs, Miss., and the University’s fleet of five research vessels, to create a regionally, nationally and internationally recognized leader in marine science. The purpose of SOSE is to aggregate all of Southern Miss’ marine-related research and education programs under a single administrative unit and to coordinate, but not consolidate, operating budgets and facilities. The SOSE focuses on academic and research enterprises of ocean science already existing at Southern Miss, the state’s flagship university for marine science as previously directed by the Institutions of Higher Learning. Additionally, the SOSE will further the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University to engage in economic development along the coast specific to the maritime economy and provide an administrative structure where maritime technology programs offered through Southern Miss can be housed.
Locations
Halstead – This 50-acre site is the original GCRL location on Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs,
Mississippi. Numerous academic, research and administrative units are located at this
site, including dormitory, dining and classroom facilities supporting the long-running
Summer Field Program. The Halstead harbor is home to the R/V Jim Franks, R/V Hermes and Miss Peetsy B, and its boat launch supports small boat research and academic operations.
Cedar Point – Acquired in the 1990s to support GCRL’s emerging marine aquaculture program, Cedar
Point encompasses 225 acres adjacent to the National Park Service’s Gulf Islands National
Seashore in eastern Ocean Springs. Within Cedar Point is the new Marine Education
Center and Toxicology facility. Situated on 100 acres, the Marine Education Center
serves as the education and outreach arm of GCRL and provides an immersion experience
for participants in a unique, coastal setting. Research in the $5 million Toxicology
lab focuses on the effects of anthropogenic substances on aquatic or marine species.
The researchers focus on three key areas: nanotoxicology, toxicogenomics, and the
effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi, houses the University’s
Division of Marine Science, Hydrographic Science Research Center, Center for Gulf
Studies and Center of Higher Learning. Division faculty conduct research that spans
the global oceans while offering graduate programs in marine science and hydrographic
science, and undergraduate programs in marine science and ocean engineering. The division
also offers the first Unmanned Maritime Systems Certification
in the United States.
Point Cadet in Biloxi, Mississippi, serves as a teaching and research vessel staging site for the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and is the homeport of the R/V Tommy Munro.
The Port of Gulfport is a 250-acre deepwater port and an inland port facility in Gulfport, Mississippi, and is home to the University’s largest research vessel, the R/V Point Sur. The Port of Gulfport is also home to the $12.2-million Marine Research Center (MRC). Located on Highway 90 at the Port’s entrance, the Marine Research Center is the centerpiece for a new maritime blue economy in South Mississippi. The MRC provides shoreside support to USM’s 135-foot oceanographic research vessel, the R/V Point Sur, and to a number of academic and research programs
Recent Highlights
LUCAS NAMED ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH, COASTAL OPERATIONS
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that longtime marine
scientist Dr. Kelly Lucas has been named the Associate Vice President for Research,
Coastal Operations.
Read More
DR. REGINALD BLAYLOCK
Research Professor, Dr. Reginald Blaylock, has served as Assistant Director of the
Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center since 2008. Since his appointment as Research
Associate Professor in COA in 2004, Dr. Blaylock has been a PI/co-PI on 37 external
projects from NOAA, DOE, USDA, GSMFC, and MSDMR. Read More
ACCEPTANCE TESTING OF THE TRITON AUTONOMOUS MARITIME VEHICLE COMPLETE
Ocean Aero, Inc. was in Gulfport, Miss. November 4, 2020 delivering the first Triton
autonomous maritime vehicle to The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Marine
Research Center (MRC).
Read More
DR. DAVIN WALLACE
Dr. Davin Wallace is an associate professor with the Division of Marine Science. He
is a geologist/marine scientist/oceanographer who investigates the response of coastal
and marine systems to storms, sea-level rise, and sediment supply variations over
a variety of timescales.
Read More
OYSTER HATCHERY AND RESEARCH CENTER
Governor Tate Reeves announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved
a RESTORE Act grant award of $7.62 million for the construction of the University
of Southern Mississippi (USM) Oyster Hatchery and Research Center, located at USM’s
Gulf Coast Research Lab at Cedar Point in Ocean Springs. Read More
HYDROGRAPHIC SCIENCE GRADUATES HONORED IN VIRTUAL CEREMONY
The USM School of Ocean Science and Engineering honored its 2020 Hydrographic Science
graduates in a virtual ceremony.
Read More
DR. XIAODONG ZHANG
Dr. Xiaodong Zhang joined the Division of Marine Science in the School of Ocean Science
and Engineering in 2019 holding the inaugural position of Endowed Chair in Marine
Science. A central theme of his research is to study natural aquatic environment through
optical observation.
Read More
MEC Receives COTE Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized USM’s Marine Education Center
with one of its highly sought-after Committee on The Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards.
The Marine Education Center is the only building in Mississippi ever to receive this
designation. Read More
MBRACE
The Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) is awarding $2.75M
for research on water quality and oyster reef sustainability in Mississippi. Four
different projects will receive funding through 2022, with The University of Southern
Mississippi (USM) being the lead institution on two of the projects. Read More
AMY MOODY
2020 Graduate School Hall of Fame Recipient
Amy Moody, graduate in the Division of Marine Science, is one of ten graduate students
with records of exceptional academic performance, leadership and service to their
fellow students and community honored recently at The University of Southern Mississippi
with induction into its 2020 Graduate School Hall of Fame.
DR. KELLY DARNELL
Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Darnell and her team on a successful award ($3.68.M)
from MDEQ for the Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE). The
grant will support Center of Excellence operations for the next 2 years and provide
$2.85M in research funds for projects addressing oyster sustainability and water quality
through MBRACE’s second RFP that was released in 2019.
RACHEL MUGGE
Graduate Research Assistant Rachel Mugge received the 2020 Graduate Assistant of the
Year Award. The award recognizes an exemplary graduate assistant for their character;
their service and outstanding contributions to the mission of the University through
teaching and research; and their scholarly achievements.
UNMANNED SYSTEMS
NOAA is establishing a new Unmanned Systems Operations Program to support the rapidly
expanding use of these systems across the agency. The new program will be housed at
two locations. One of those locations will be a new facility being built by the Mississippi
State Port Authority in partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi in
Gulfport, Mississippi known as Ocean Enterprise. Read more
ASHTON JACKSON
was selected to participate in the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) Science and Engineering
Internship this summer. She has been invited a position aboard Exploration Vessel
Nautilus as a ROV Engineering Intern.
DR. ZACH DARNELL
has been awarded the the Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty
Excellence Award for the 2020-2021 academic year. This endowment was established in
honor of Dr. and Mrs. Aubrey K. Lucas to support and reward faculty excellence in
instruction and research.
R/V GILBERT R. MASON
The keel laying ceremony formally recognizes the start of a ship’s construction. In
maritime traditions, a keel laying ceremony is said to bring luck to the ship during
construction and to the captain and crew during her later life. USM has officially
commemorated the start of construction for the R/V Gilbert R. Mason.
