Research
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) supports relevant, cutting-edge research that addresses coastal issues in Alabama, Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. Through a highly competitive, peer-reviewed granting process, MASGC awards funding for research projects. Its core research program funds two-year projects that offer potential impacts in one more of the MASGC focus areas: environmental literacy and workforce development; healthy coastal ecosystems; resilient communities and economies; and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Research projects include an outreach plan to deliver the results to the people who can use them best.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides most of MASGC’s funding. The state governments of Alabama and Mississippi and other federal partners also support the bi-state Sea Grant research program. Often, MASGC coordinates additional grant competitions for NOAA, other federal agencies and state entities to address research needs in the bi-state area and regionally throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
The mission of the MASGC is to enhance the sustainable use and conservation of ocean and coastal resources to benefit the economy and environment in Alabama and Mississippi. To fulfill this mission, MASGC supports interdisciplinary research and community-based natural resources management.