Competitive Grants Program

MBRACE funded four projects through the Competitive Grants Program under the topic areas of (1) Water Quality, and (2) Oyster Reefs and their Sustainability. Projects are funded for three years (2023 - 2026).

• Is Food Supply Adequate for Oyster Larvae in Mississippi Sound? Evaluation of Food Quality and Quantity Through Optical, Biochemical, and Biological Observations and Modeling

• Satellite-based Virtual Buoy Observation Network as Water Quality Support Tool for Oyster Sustainability in Mississippi Sound

• Transport and Fate of Bacterial Communities in Mississippi Coastal Ecosystems

• The Bacterial Environment of Mississippi Coastal Systems

Core Research Program

Core 3 Funding (2023–2027)

In 2023, MBRACE awarded its third round of Core Research Program funding to support four complementary projects investigating factors influencing oyster reefs and their sustainability. These projects represent a collaborative research effort among the four MBRACE consortium universities: Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi State University (MSU), the University of Mississippi (UM), and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), which serves as the consortium lead.

Core 4 Funding (2026–2027)

Awarded in 2026, MBRACE's fourth Core Research Program supports coordinated investigations across the four consortium universities at shared study sites, including experimental oyster reefs established by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Building on previous research, these complementary projects examine oyster recruitment and growth, coastal water quality, and environmental and hydrodynamic processes influencing reef conditions in the Mississippi Sound. Together, these efforts aim to advance oyster reef restoration science and provide actionable information to support coastal resource management and restoration decisions.