Core 4 Research Program - Jackson State University
Sensor-Based Oyster Growth Parameterization
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kamal Ali
Institution: Jackson State University (JSU)
Funding Cycle: Core 4 (2026–2027)
Award Amount: $114,962
Period of Performance: February 16, 2026 – November 15, 2027
Project Goals and Importance
Understanding how environmental conditions influence oyster growth is essential for improving oyster reef restoration and management in the Mississippi Sound. This project focuses on developing sensor-based approaches to characterize oyster growth and its relationship to environmental conditions at shared research sites.
As part of the coordinated MBRACE Core 4 Research Program, the project will contribute information that complements investigations of oyster recruitment, coastal water quality, and hydrodynamic processes conducted by researchers at the other consortium universities.
Research Objectives
The project focuses on:
Using sensor-based observations to characterize oyster growth and relevant environmental conditions.
Developing parameters that describe relationships between oyster growth and environmental variability.
Contributing measurements and findings to the integrated Core 4 research effort.
Expected Management Impacts
This research is expected to improve understanding of how environmental conditions affect oyster growth and contribute to the scientific information available for oyster reef restoration planning. Findings may help resource managers better evaluate environmental conditions associated with oyster performance and support future restoration and monitoring strategies.
Project Outputs
Research findings, publications, presentations, datasets, and other project products will be added as they become available.