MASGC Project Impacts

Master Naturalists provide 4,716 volunteer hours, improve 12,266 acres

Relevance:

Lack of environmental knowledge often promotes poor stewardship of natural resources. Additionally, many environmentally conscious individuals are eager to provide volunteer service, but these opportunities are often difficult to find.

Response:

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium staff developed and formalized the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program in 2008 with the mission of developing an organization of knowledgeable volunteers to help promote conservation and management of Mississippi's natural resources through education, outreach and service within their communities. In 2019, the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program held two training courses, which led to the certification of 36 new Master Naturalists.

Results:

Participants in the two 2019 Mississippi Master Naturalist courses increased their environmental knowledge 10% on average. Active Master Naturalists documented 4,716 volunteer service hours, valued at $119,928. Through these volunteer hours, participants reached or educated more than 22,727 people and directly or indirectly improved 12,266 acres through stewardship activities.

Recap:

The Mississippi Master Naturalist Program increased awareness of environmental issues in Mississippi and Alabama, provided 4,716 volunteer service hours (valued at $119,928), educated 22,727 people and improved 12,266 acres. (2019)

Thousands of P-12 students increase environmental literacy through place-based experiences

Relevance:

Place-based, hands-on educational opportunities increase environmental literacy as well as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) literacy through direct experiences in coastal environments and addressing coastal issues. These experiences increase student understanding of how coastal habitats and scientific research enhance quality of life, promote sustainability of coastal resources and help individuals make responsible decisions concerning coastal resources.

Response:

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported environmental centers in Mississippi and Alabama (Discovery Hall Programs, Environmental Studies Center and the Marine Education Center) implemented place-based experiential education programs of varying length (1-4 hours) for P-12 students. Specific program topics ranged from coastal ecology to marine technology and included the practice of science, technology, engineering and math skills. These experiential programs were developed with explicit reference to national and state educational standards and ocean literacy principles.

Results:

MASGC-supported environmental education programs resulted in 66,618 P-12 students actively engaged in field experiences aboard boats, in coastal habitats with wildlife, studying coastal problems or using tools. Pre- and post-testing of students participating in these programs demonstrated statistically significant increases in content knowledge (DHP - 6 classes: n=2,212, p<0.001, average gain 30%) (ESC - Project SEA ICE: n=386, average gain 36%) (MEC - summer camps: n=331, average gain 25%).

Recap:

More than 66,000 students increased their understanding of healthy coastal ecosystems, fisheries and resilience; and improved their STEM skills by participating in Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium-supported field-based experiential environmental education programs at Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Discovery Hall Programs, Mobile County Public School's Environmental Studies Center, and The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab's Marine Education Center. (2019)

Enhanced Community Resilience Index (E-CRI) informs Santa Rosa County Disaster Recovery Comprehensive Plan

Relevance:

Gulf Coast community leaders need a simple, inexpensive and effective method of determining if their communities will reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning after a disaster. MASGC was a leader in developing the original Coastal Community Resilience Index (CRI), which is a self-assessment tool that has been widely used and benefited communities throughout the country. MASGC is now coordinating and leading an overall effort to enhance the original CRI by adding three new elements. One of those elements is adding mapping and visualization tools to the CRI.

Response:

In 2018, the project team, made up of people from the Gulf region Sea Grant programs, NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, developed the participatory mapping and visualization tool element of the enhanced CRI. The project team pilot tested this new approach with numerous communities in Alabama, Florida and Louisiana. One of the pilot tests was with Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Results:

Santa Rosa County, Florida, used the results of the pilot testing of the CRI with mapping and visualization elements to support the development of a county-wide Disaster Recovery Comprehensive Plan. Additional impacts likely will occur as the enhanced CRI transitions from pilot testing of the three new elements to finalization and distribution of the updated tool.

Recap:

Santa Rosa County (Florida), with assistance from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), other Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team, used information gained during an Enhanced Community Resiliency Index (E-CRI) pilot testing workshop to develop a county-wide Disaster Recovery Comprehensive Plan. (2018)

MASGC is a leader in promoting regional cooperation in the Community Rating System

Relevance:

The National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS) provides a holistic approach to hazard mitigation and community resilience that requires communities to go beyond minimal standards. Communities that participate in CRS can reduce the cost of flood insurance premiums and develop activities to implement to increase resilience. The more activities a CRS community can successfully implement, the greater the likelihood a community can improve its CRS class and obtain additional flood insurance savings.

Response:

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) worked with floodplain managers through partnerships with two CRS user groups: Coastal Hazard Outreach Strategy Team (C-HOST) in Mississippi and the South Alabama Flood Engagement Team (SAFE-T). MASGC developed flood outreach programming, which helped refine floodplain management practices in the two states. It also provided direct technical assistance to individual communities on CRS activities. For example, MASGC helped Biloxi implement a Program for Public Information (PPI) for CRS points.

Results:

By facilitating C-HOST events, MASGC coordinated targeted outreach projects for multiple CRS communities in Mississippi. One targeted event, like flood outreach at the local mall, can provide $5,347 in flood insurance savings to the Mississippi coast. Also, by creating a PPI in Biloxi, the city became eligible for 130 CRS points. If Biloxi were to gain a class as a result of the PPI, Sea Grant would have contributed to $31,947 in potential premium savings. 

Recap:

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant raised flood hazard awareness among coastal residents and reduced local flood insurance premiums by fostering greater jurisdictional participation in the Community Rating System program. (2018)

Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative increases application of new sea‐level rise science to decision‐making

Relevance:

It is gradually becoming more commonplace to integrate sea‐level rise (SLR) into decision-making along the coast, from natural resource management to community planning to individual residents’ choices. However, stakeholders across the coastal system struggle to understand and apply sea‐level rise scenarios to their maximum utility. This is often driven by the existence of multiple suites of SLR scenarios, time‐steps and probabilities.

Response:

The Sentinel Site Program, led by the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative (a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported program), developed a suite of files to easily generate an SLR fact sheet. The SLR two‐pager communicates regionally specific (1 degree latitude x 1 degree longitude) SLR scenarios, days of future flooding and guidance on how to use the scenarios when planning. Expected end‐users are extension and outreach specialists, community planners, natural resource managers and other coastal decisionmakers.

Results:

Extension and outreach professionals throughout the United States used the two-pager, improving communication around SLR and increasing consideration of SLR in coastal planning, community development and individual decision‐making. For example, in Pensacola, Florida, the members that attended a coastal resilience evaluation identified a critical evacuation route as at risk to future storm surge based, in part, on the two-pager.

Recap:

The Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative improved communication of sea‐level rise science through improved access and a customizable fact sheet. (2018)

MASGC efforts lead coastal residents to consider future storm surge when purchasing homes

Relevance:

Storm surge will be exacerbated in extent and depth by sea-level rise in the northern Gulf of Mexico. However, coastal residents have a hard time accessing these projections when considering home purchasing, leaving them unable to make informed decisions about their potential risk in context of their own risk tolerance

Response:

The Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative coordinator (who is supported by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant) worked with individual coastal residents in Dauphin Island (Alabama), Ocean Springs (Mississippi), Bay St. Louis (Mississippi), and Baldwin County (Alabama) to understand future flood risk by using storm surge simulations (www.gomsurge.org)

Results:

Coastal residents used the available resources on future storm surge before purchasing homes/lots. Additional coastal residents reviewed the vulnerability of their current homes.

Recap:

Through direct interactions with Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative staff, coastal homebuyers have evaluated risk at current and potential homes. (2018)