Building the resilience of Gulf Coast blue economies in a changing world: A multiple case study

Abstract

Coastal communities across Alabama and Mississippi face increasingly complex socio-ecological challenges, including coastal flooding, intensified storm events and economic disruptions to historically resilient working waterfronts. These hazards are often compounded by socio-economic vulnerability, institutional constraints, and uneven access to adaptation resources. To respond effectively, communities must not only access technical knowledge but also navigate deeply embedded cultural identities, economic dependencies and perceptions of fairness and loss. This project advances a place-based, multidimensional framework of resilience to evaluate the impact of the Sea Grant Gulf Coast Resilience Community of Practice (CoP), while also generating actionable guidance for its long-term sustainability by drawing from local resilience narratives.

The primary goals of this study are (1) to assess the long-term impact of the Sea Grant CoP on community-level adaptation efforts, and (2) to document how local economic structures, cultural narratives, and lived experiences shape resilience priorities across a spectrum of Gulf Coast communities. Through a comparative multiple case study of three communities — Bayou La Batre, AL; Pass Christian, MS; and Biloxi, MS — we examine how different coastal economies define and pursue resilience, from preserving traditional commercial fisheries to navigating transitions into tourism-oriented development.

The project employs a mixed-methods design grounded in resilience theory, panarchy and socio-ecological systems thinking. Objective 1 centers on program evaluation of the CoP, including document review, stakeholder interviews, and synthesis of lessons learned. Objective 2 focuses on community engagement through focus groups and semi-structured interviews on each case site to identify perceived barriers to adaptation and the values residents attach to their current economic systems. Objective 3 involves a theory-driven, cross-case comparison of resilience domains — natural, built, economic and social — using qualitative coding, planning document analysis and comparative matrices. Objective 4 culminates in a capacity-building workshop integrated into the CoP’s 2027 annual meeting, where preliminary findings will be shared and co-produced sustainability recommendations will be developed with Sea Grant staff, extension agents and invited community stakeholders.

Expected outcomes include a comprehensive evaluation of the CoP’s impact to date, a synthesis of community-identified barriers and opportunities for adaptation, and practical recommendations for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the CoP and for tailoring extension strategies to fit the realities of distinct Gulf Coast economies. The project will produce four peer-reviewed publications, annual conference presentations, and a practitioner-focused policy brief. All findings will be shared through a final regional workshop and made available to Sea Grant partners.

By aligning with the MASGC Strategic Plan’s goals in both the Resilient Communities and Economies and Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture focus areas, this project seeks to enhance the capacity of Sea Grant extension programs to support community-led adaptation that is socially legitimate, economically viable and ecologically responsive. Ultimately, this research seeks to strengthen the responsiveness and inclusivity of resilience-building efforts across the Gulf Coast, particularly for those communities working to sustain their identities and livelihoods in the face of accelerating change.

Objectives

1. Evaluate the Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) by reviewing program materials, conducting document analysis, and completing semi-structured interviews with at least 20 CoP-affiliated stakeholders — including Sea Grant staff, grantees and partner institutions — by the end of Year 1.
2. To identify barriers to implementing resilience at the community level by conducting at least one focus group and 15 semi-structured interviews in each of the three study communities (Bayou La Batre, Pass Christian, and Biloxi). Data collection will begin in Year 1 and conclude by Month 18.
3. To conduct a comparative multiple case study across three coastal economies using Yin’s (2018) replication logic framework across three communities that represent a spectrum of Blue Economy dependence. Each case study will include coded qualitative data, review of local planning documents and mapping of resilience domains (natural, built, economic and social). A cross-case matrix will be produced to identify shared barriers and develop locally tailored resilience strategies, designed to inform the workshop in Objective 4 in Year 2.
4. To co-organize a regional capacity-building workshop integrated with the 2027 CoP Annual Meeting where we will present key findings, co-produce locally grounded recommendations and support peer-to-peer exchange among extension professionals and community stakeholders. 

Methodology

This project employs a theory-driven, mixed-methods approach to evaluate the Sea Grant Gulf Coast Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) and examine how resilience is shaped across diverse blue economies. The methodology tests four hypotheses: (1) the CoP has enhanced adaptive capacity, but periodic impact evaluation and local input can help foster increased efficacy and sustainability; (2) combining expert insights with lived experience provides a fuller understanding of resilience barriers; (3) environmental and socio-economic factors interact to produce distinct and uneven adaptation challenges; and (4) communities function within different “basins of attraction,” where resilience involves persistence in locally valued systems unless transformation is community-driven.

To address these hypotheses, the study is structured around four objectives. First, we will evaluate the CoP through a systematic review of documents and semi-structured interviews with Sea Grant staff, CoP leaders, grantees and regional partners. These interviews will assess program reach, implementation barriers and perceived impacts.

Second, we will conduct fieldwork in three case study communities — Bayou La Batre, AL; Pass Christian, MS; and Biloxi, MS — each reflecting different coastal economic identity. In each site, we will hold a stakeholder focus group and conduct semi-structured interviews to explore place-based resilience priorities, barriers and narratives.

Third, using Yin’s multiple-case study method, we will conduct cross-case comparisons across four domains: natural, built, economic and social resilience. Results will be synthesized into matrices to identify shared and context-specific needs.

Finally, a culminating regional workshop will be hosted at the CoP’s 2027 meeting to share findings, validate conclusions and co-develop sustainability strategies for the CoP. All data collection will follow IRB protocols and employ member checking and peer-debriefing to ensure quality and credibility.

Rationale

Coastal communities across Alabama and Mississippi are increasingly vulnerable to coastal hazards such as flooding, storm surge and upstream-driven flooding. These environmental threats compound long-standing socio-economic challenges, especially in communities dependent on working waterfronts and Blue Economy sectors like commercial fishing and seafood processing. As these places confront mounting stress, the need for locally grounded, socially legitimate adaptation strategies becomes more urgent.

Resilience efforts must move beyond technical solutions alone and engage with how communities interpret change through the lens of identity, pride and cultural continuity. In many Gulf Coast towns, efforts to shift from fishing to tourism or to adopt externally driven adaptation strategies are perceived not as progress, but as threats to dignity, belonging, and economic autonomy. Understanding these emotional and symbolic dimensions of resilience is critical for designing programs that are responsive rather than prescriptive.

The Sea Grant Gulf Coast Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) has played a vital role in supporting community-level adaptation through training, outreach and knowledge-sharing. However, its long-term impact across different economic and cultural contexts has not yet been systematically evaluated. This project addresses that need by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the CoP alongside a three-community case study that explores how resilience priorities vary between traditional, hybrid, and tourism-driven economies.

The project directly supports MASGC’s priorities in Resilient Communities and Economies and Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture and findings are meant to benefit extension professionals, planners and coastal communities by offering guidance on how to build adaptive capacity while honoring place-based values and supporting the continuity of culturally and economically significant livelihoods.