The Northern Gulf Institute and the Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University have been partnering with the University of Mississippi to provide technical and logistical assistance in research supporting the redevelopment and restoration of the Mississippi oyster resources as a key action in the restoration of the Gulf Coast, as part of the Mississippi Based RESTORE Act.

Dr. Greg Easson and Jarett Bell, a UM geological engineering graduate student from Bay St. Louis, have been collaborating on the project since before the student graduated from the university with his undergraduate degree last spring. Sensor packages, known as Landers are being used to gather data about dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature and light from the Mississippi Sound.

"The information generated will provide insight into oyster reef restoration and resilience along the Mississippi Gulf Coast", Easson said. "It will provide critical knowledge related to potential locations for future oyster reefs that will support sustainable and productive oyster fisheries".

The results of the study will be shared with MBRACE partners from Mississippi State University, the University of Southern Mississippi and Jackson State University. It will also be the subject of Bell's master's thesis in 2019, and an eventual journal article.