Bill would limit Gulf fish farming appeal

Proposed legislation could make the Gulf of Mexico less appealing for the nation's first commercial offshore fish farms. Legislation proposed by Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., would be illegal to use oil or natural gas platforms for fish farming operations. Many consider the presence of 4,000 such platforms the Gulf's primary advantage as an aquaculture destination. Proponents have touted them as perfect workstations. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/31/09)

Coastal resource center ceremony slated

A grand opening ceremony will be held Monday in Jackson County, Miss., for the new $9 million, 20,000-square-foot Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center. It serves as headquarters for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in the Pecan community of southeast Jackson County. The building includes a public interpretative area, office space, laboratories, classrooms and a dormitory and will be shared by the reserve and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The dedication coincides with the 10th anniversary of the reserve, which includes more than 18,000 acres of estuarine and upland habitat for purposes of scientific research and observation, education and stewardship. (Source: Mississippi Press, 12/05/09)

MSU picks research VP

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A veteran Mississippi State faculty member and research scientist has been chosen as vice president for research and economic development at MSU. David R. Shaw assumes his new duties Jan. 1, pending approval by the board of trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. He succeeds Kirk Schulz, who left MSU to become president of Kansas State University. Shaw played a key role in the creation of several cross-disciplinary research centers that focus on the applications of remote sensing technology to resource management. Most recently, Shaw spearheaded formation of the NOAA-funded Northern Gulf Institute, a collaborative effort with Louisiana State and Florida State universities, University of Southern Mississippi, and the Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory in Alabama. NGI's program office is at Stennis Space Center. It focuses its research efforts on ecosystem management, coastal hazards and mitigation, and climate assessment and modeling. (Source: Starkville Daily News, 12/02/09)