Core 3 Research Program - University of Southern Mississippi
Principal Investigators: Jerry Wiggert
Co Investigators: M. Kemal Cambazoglu, Scott Milroy, Chet Rakocinski
Graduate Students: Mallory Dyson
Undergraduate Students/Interns: TBD
Technical Staff: Ms. Brandy Armstrong, Mr. Jamie Davis, Ms. Kathy VanderKooy
Award Amount: $425,000
Project Description
Goal:
Continue lab and field based experiments to expand upon the knowledge gained to date on larval and spat recruitment and juvenile oyster growth and feeding behavior.
Extend the application of the msbCOAWST hydrodynamic model. Generate temporally continuous model hindcasts with hourly resolution that spans the lifetime of the MBRACE program (2015 - to current), including impact of Bonnet Carre Spillway openings on environmental conditions.
Maintain ongoing application of msbCOAWST daily model so near real-time environmental conditions are accessible to MBRACE project team members.
Continue refinement and application of habitat suitability index (HSI) models for multiple age classes of oysters, brown shrimp and blue crab.
Blend circulation model output and field measurements (water quality time series) to extend HSI models to account for comprehensive spectrum of environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, water depth, dissolved oxygen, substrate type, total suspended particulates).
Integrate laboratory and field-based investigations of early larval and spat recruitment and juvenile oyster growth and behavior, in situ sampling, remote sensing observations, and numerical modeling of water quality and hydrodynamic conditions in the western Mississippi Sound.
Why it is Important:
Under the influences of climate change and other stressors, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain water quality conditions within Mississippi jurisdictional waters that are suitable for maintaining viable marine fisheries. Reliable science-based information is critical for planning regional restoration and coastal protection programs. Results of this research will further our capacity to identify suitable oyster habitat locations (whether they be existing reefs, relay locations, or areas suggested for new cultch deployment or off-bottom cultivation) in light of natural climactic variability or in response to evolving management paradigms. Our research will also deepen our understanding of the impact of extreme events (e.g., Bonnet Carré Spillway openings, tropical storm impacts) and changing interannual and seasonal variability of water quality and environmental conditions on oyster growth and survival in Mississippi Sound.
Objectives:
Develop interannual perspective on health of the oyster reefs of the Mississippi Sound and gain insight on long-term viability of Mississippi Sound and state of water quality conditions. Provide refined guidance on best resource management practices.
Expected Outcomes and Management Impacts:
A daily model application will be refined and extended to provide real-time environmental fields critical to interpret on-going sampling efforts of the MBRACE project teams and enable informed resource management decisions.
Outreach
Members of the project team will interact with high school students through the GenSea program and with community college students from MGCCC and PRCC thru the activities organized by leadership at USM’s Gulf Park campus to expose students to the MBRACE research findings and products such as msbCOAWST.