Coastal Conservation & REstoration Program
About us
Our mission is to put science into practice by providing coastal stakeholders with the knowledge they need to make sound environmental, economic, and resilient decisions. The process of gathering information and getting it to people that can use it involves Extension, applied research, outreach, and education activities. Our focus areas are broad and adapt to the current needs of stakeholders, but generally involve coastal conservation and restoration projects at local, state, regional, national, and international scales.
This program is run by an excellent group of Extension personnel, graduate students, and interns. Support for this program is provided by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and a large group of funders, partners, and collaborators.
Living shorelines are alternatives to hardened shoreline techniques, such as bulkheads and seawalls, which stabilize shorelines, while also providing the benefits of a natural shoreline. Comparatively, hardened shorelines are detrimental to the environment.
For this program, we work directly with property owners, contractors, nurseries, and regulatory agencies to help increase the knowledge base and streamline the processes associated with implementing living shoreline projects.
Our activities include:
- conducting property owner, contractor, and government agency workshops/trainings
- producing guidebooks and extension publications
- research to improve the site design process, and site evaluations
Educational Outreach Programs
Plan-It Dunes & Plan-It Marsh
This program aims to provide high schools in the Gulf Coast & southeastern U.S. with the supplies and expertise to restore native dune habitat. Participating schools will be provided with dune plants for students to grow, given complementary lesson plans to use in-school, and will be taken on restoration planting field trips to local beaches.
GRITS Program
GRITS is an extracurricular program created to provide high school students with hands-on training in STEM skills that are integral to coastal restoration.
Sustainability with Awareness and Prevention Solutions
Through a combination of online, in-person, and hands-on learning students will explore microplastics in the watershed, reducing food waste and composting, DIY alternatives to single-use plastic, and how to get involved or organize a waste prevention or removal program.
