New director, deputy join NGI

Two research professors from Mississippi State University have joined the leadership team at Stennis Space Center's Northern Gulf Institute. They are Robert J. Moorhead, professor of electrical and computing engineering, and Donald C. Jackson, professor of fisheries, chosen to serve as NGI director and deputy director, respectively. The previous director, Mike Carron, left NGI to accept a position with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. NGI is a NOAA cooperative institute led by MSU. Other academic partners are the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Dauphin Island Sea Lab. (Source: NGI, 01/25/11)

Endangered species focus of Sea Camp

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Threatened and endangered marine species will be the focus of this year's University of Southern Mississippi Sea Camp. The program at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Marine Education Center is for children from 6 to 13 years of age, and it's designed to make learning about the coastal habitat fun. Sea Camp is offering six sessions in June and July. For more information call 228-818-8833 or email marine.education@usm.edu. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 01/18/11)

GulfQuest contracts awarded

MOBILE, Ala. - The Mobile City Council awarded $30 million to six contractors to work on the GulfQuest maritime museum and ferry landing. The contracts represent the bulk of construction. The cost of the museum, which will be located next to the cruise terminal on the Mobile River, is about $52 million. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/19/11) The museum's exhibits will focus on trade, marine archaeology, the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, marine commerce and shipbuilding, offshore oil and gas exploration and more.

Manatee found dead

The manatee death toll is now four this winter after scientists found another dead manatee in area waters this weekend. The pregnant female was found on Perdido Key, Fla. State officials asked the Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Manatee Sighting Network to perform a necropsy. The animal will be tested for exposure to oil, but scientists said the most likely cause of death was stress related to cold weather. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/18/11)

New jellyfish species identified

MOBILE, Ala. - A Dauphin Island Sea Lab scientist has now determined that the giant pink jellyfish that turned up in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000 are an entirely new species. Back then, scientists initially decided the creature, nicknamed the “pink meanie,” was a jellyfish native to the Mediterranean. Now, with the aid of genetic fingerprinting and other techniques, scientists have determined the Gulf version is a unique species. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/12/11)

NGI newsletter available

The Northern Gulf Institute's newsletter, The Portal, has been released. The 12-page publication includes stories about the NGI Gulf of Mexico BP research project; a new research framework for NGI; student and research spotlights; a farewell letter from former co-director Michael Carron and more. Stennis Space Center's NGI, a NOAA cooperative institute established in 2006, is a marine science research cooperative involving Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Louisiana State, Florida State and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. (Source: NGI, 01/10/11)

USM scientist gets UMass post

Dr. Steven Lohrenz, a University of Southern Mississippi marine scientist who served on a research team responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, has been tapped as the new dean of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology. Lohrenz, who begins his official duties full-time in July, received his Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (Source: SouthCoastToday, The Herald News, 01/05/11)