New artificial reef in place

The 176-foot-long Great Wicomico is now an artificial reef about 13 miles south of Mississippi's Horn Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship entered service in 1945 and became part of the Omega Protein fishing fleet in 1960. Omega Protein, which operates a pogy fishing fleet out of Moss Point, Miss., donated the ship for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Artificial Reef Bureau. Artificial reefs create habitats for sea life. Mississippi's artificial reef program began in 1999. (Source: Mississippi Press, 11/25/09)

NMOC gets new commander

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command has a new commander. Rear Adm. Jonathan W. White relieved Rear Adm. David W. Titley in a change-of-command ceremony Friday. Titley, who served as NMOC commander since December 2007, was assigned to be the Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy in April. White was chosen in September as to replace Titley as head of NMOC. White most recently served as chief of staff. He’s been in the Navy for 26 years. (Source: Sun Herald, 11/16/09)

GCRL releases seatrout

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. – The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory released 16,000 tagged hatchery-raised seatrout this week into the wild at two Bay St. Louis locations. The Seatrout Population Enhancement Cooperative program is designed to enhance the seatrout population. The fish released Thursday are among the first to be raised in the new Marine Aquaculture Visitors' Pavilion at GCRL’s Cedar Point site. The laboratory is developing a similar program for red snapper. (Source: Mississippi Press, 11/13/09)

NOAA slates dedication, commissioning

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - NOAA officials will commission the Pisces, the agency’s newest and most advanced fisheries survey vessel, and dedicate the agency’s new fisheries laboratory Friday. The recently completed NOAA laboratory replaces the facility that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The ship and laboratory will support fisheries research in the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern United States, and Caribbean. (Source: Sun Herald, 10/03/09)