Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Happy Shark Fest!

At the USM Gulf Coast Research Lab's Marine Education Center, Sharkheads Shark Fest take part in tagging sharks—one of the most powerful tools scientists use to understand and protect them.

With support from the USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development, researchers can track migration routes while gathering data that also reveals growth rates, lifespan, and behavior that we can’t observe otherwise. 🦈🌊

Summer Field Program explores Cat & Chandeleur!

Students from Barrier Islands class conducted elevation profiles of the dunes of the islands to measure and map the shape of the land from the beach up through the dune system, along with quadrat sampling for habitat assessments, documenting vegetation and species presence.

Every data point collected helps build a clearer picture of how Mississippi’s barrier islands function—and why they matter.

From trawling to shifting shorelines, hands-on learning takes center stage in the Summer Field Program at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

Students from our Oceanography, Marine Invertebrate Zoology, and Barrier Islands courses recently headed out to Cat Island for field-based research, where classroom concepts come alive in a real coastal environment. From sampling coastal sediments to identifying diverse invertebrate species and exploring dynamic barrier island habitats, students gain direct experience with the ecosystems they study.

Field days like these are at the heart of the Summer Field Program—offering immersive, coastal science training that blends rigorous coursework with unforgettable hands-on discovery. It’s more than a class; it’s an opportunity to learn by doing, build field skills, and experience barrier island science where it actually happens.

A little patience and a keen eye go a long way 🦈

During the Summer Field Program, students would take to the shoreline in search of shark teeth—using handheld sifters to separate sand and uncover hidden treasures beneath the surface.
By gently washing away the finer grains, what’s left behind can tell a story of the Gulf’s past.

It’s a simple method, but one that connects students to both field techniques and the history preserved along our coast.

There are worse commutes than this one.

Catching a glimpse of dolphins in their natural habitat adds a whole new layer to the field experience. It’s just one of the many reasons why learning out here goes far beyond the classroom. 🌊🐬

There’s no better classroom than the shoreline 🌊

During the Summer Field Program, students from the Marine Invertebrate Zoology class were out on Cat Island to get hands-on experience with seining—one of the most effective ways to sample nearshore marine life. Working together, they pulled nets through the shallow waters, uncovering a diverse mix of fish, crabs, and other coastal species.

Big congrats to Blaise Rohan on successfully defending his thesis! 🎓🦀

His research on crab fecundity—essentially the number of eggs a crab can produce—highlights an important piece of marine science, made even stronger by the collaborative effort behind it. Large collections of crabs from New York and Texas played a key role in supporting his work, showing just how far-reaching this project became.

This is a great reminder that science is built on teamwork at every level—from field collections to data analysis to final defense.

Congratulations Blaise!

This week, Summer Field Program students got to join USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development staff at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic to support ongoing fisheries research.

CFRD collaborates with Tournament directors to collect important biological data, including measurements, otoliths (stones found in the inner ear) for ageing, reproductive, and stomach samples from fish brought into the tournament. This longstanding partnership has allowed invaluable information on these important species in the Gulf.

An exciting guest presentation from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Eric Hoffmayer, who spoke with students in the Elasmobranchii class about his work on the whale shark research and tagging project.

He shared how researchers track whale sharks to better understand their movements and help reduce the risk of ship strikes—an important conservation effort for protecting one of the ocean’s largest and most vulnerable species. Students from the Summer Field Program got a learn about field data, tagging technology, and long-term monitoring come together to support marine conservation efforts.