Get in touch
Steve Sempier, Ph.D.
Director
Contact Information:
703 East Beach Dr.Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Phone: 228-818-8830
Email: [email protected]
Steve Sempier serves as Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant's director.
Steve joined MASGC in 2007 and became director in 2026. As director, he provides overall leadership and management for all MASGC operations, programs and initiatives, including research, education and training, and advisory and engagement services. Steve previously served as deputy and outreach director as well as manager of a oil spill science outreach program. He holds a Ph.D. in coastal science from The University of Southern Mississippi, a master's degree from Oregon State University and a bachelor's degree from Eckerd College, Florida.
Program Involvement
Oil Spill Science Outreach Program
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established by a $500 million commitment from BP in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 10-year research program aims to mitigate the impacts of hydrocarbon pollution and stressors on the marine environment and public health from the spill, as well as improve society’s understanding of oil spill issues. GoMRI provides support to the Sea Grant programs of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana and Texas) for an extension and outreach effort to increase the use of oil spill science by people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy Gulf. This is a new model of a private entity engaging with the four Sea Grant programs in the Gulf of Mexico to develop a regional outreach program.