GOMESA Application Details
- Internal Project Number
- 271342
- 1. Title of Project
- Monitoring finfish space use and sediment classification to inform coastal restoration efforts
- 2. Location of Project
- Mississippi Sound, Mississippi Barrier Islands
- 3. Requesting Organization
- University of Southern Mississippi
- 4a. Name
- Erica Kennedy
- 4b. Position
- 4c. Phone Number
- 601-266-4119
- 4d. Fax Number
- 4e. Address Line 1
- 118 College Drive #5157
- 4e. Address Line 2
- 4e. City, State Zip
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- 4f. Email
- ora-pam@usm.edu
- 5. FundingRequested
- $752,657
- Awarded Amount:
- 6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources
- No
- 7a. Amount of Additional Funds
- 7b. Source of Additional Funds
- 8. Total Project Funds Amount
- $752,657
- 9. Project Description/Overview
- The state of Mississippi has made a commitment to restoring and enhancing coastal habitats through various projects, including living shorelines, beneficial use of dredged materials for restoring islands and mitigating erosion, oyster reef enhancement, and artificial reef construction. All these projects aim to benefit long term habitat perseverance and presumably help enhance habitat value for fishery species; however, monitoring for fishery enhancement is not always associated with these projects. Additionally, success of some of these restoration endeavors can be limited by the predominantly soft sediments of the region and by having the entity of Mississippi sound designated as critical habitat for Gulf Sturgeon. The former making on-bottom restoration projects difficult to persist over time as material subsides and the latter arising from permitting requirements to ensure minimal harm to sturgeon. The proposed work aims to mitigate some of these concerns by first expanding the acoustic telemetry monitoring occurring in Mississippi state waters (species with active tagging include Sheepshead, Black Drum, Grey Snapper, Tripletail, and Gulf Sturgeon and species to be tagged are Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout) to areas currently lacking coverage (from Pelican Key to Cat Island, from Horn Island to Petit Bois Island, and nearshore areas between Long Beach and Biloxi) to identify residency and movement corridors. To understand the sediment profile of Mississippi Sound, we propose conducting grainsize analyses at 600 sampling sites throughout the sound, collect sediment cores to estimate sedimentation rates, determine the bottom profile, and assess nutrient composition. These data will help create a detailed sediment map for the sound that can help identify areas suitable for placement of on bottom structures or assisting in permitting for beneficial use areas.
- 10. Project Goals/Objectives
- 1) Describe space use patterns and potential movement corridors within Mississippi Sound for commercial/recreational finfish (Sheepshead, Black Drum, Grey Snapper, Red Drum, Speckled Seatrout, Southern Flounder) and the federally listed Gulf Sturgeon. 2) Develop a sediment map for Mississippi Sound and the waters off the barrier islands that can be used to inform fish patterns and help refine placement locations for restoration/enhancement projects (e.g., artificial reefs, beneficial use of dredge material, oyster reef enhancement). 3) Determine sedimentation rates in the western Pascagoula River to determine feasibility of augmenting the region with sand to create a more stable bottom for oyster reef enhancement. 4. Determine a nutrient regimes across surface and bottom which will support the development of effective management strategies and informing restoration and monitoring efforts. 4) Use outputs in 1,2, 3 and 4 to help refine what constitutes Gulf Sturgeon estuarine critical habitat to assist in federal permitting processes and identify locations where restoration/enhancement activities may provide the most benefit with the greatest chance of remaining viable (i.e., not subsiding into soft sediments).
- 11. Which of the following authorized uses set forth in the GOMESA Act does this project fall under?
- (A) Projects and activities for the purpose of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetlands losses
- Yes: Yes: Sediment maps for the sound will help multiple bureaus within MDMR when evaluating restoration projects for coastal protection, coastal restoration and enhancement of estuarine habitats. Data on sedimentation rates and nutrients will be useful in serving as a current baseline for when the next major event (e.g., hurricane, Bonnet Carre opening) occurs.
- (B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.
- Yes: Yes: Monitoring commercial/recreational species and protected fish species within Mississippi’s waters will provide managers with data on occupancy, residency, and timings of movements. These data are critical for informing habitat management and restoration strategies. The five-year revision of the Gulf Sturgeon Recovery Plan highlighted the need to identify habitat parameters for GS feeding habitats, especially in the western portion of their range. The plan also renewed consideration for GS habitat restoration but data for effective estuarine and marine restoration is lacking. However, recent work has suggested that sandy substrates may be necessary for the species for foraging, so evaluating sediment types throughout their critical habitat in their western range (i.e., Mississippi) could help determine which activities may benefit the species. If restoration projects could be identified that would benefit sturgeon, finfish, and oysters managers would be able to more effectively be able to navigate federal permitting processes.
- (C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.
- (D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.
- 12. Project Timetable/Milestones
- Year 1- Purchase equipment, meet with MDMR staff regarding optimal telemetry receiver locations, coordinate with MDMR on sampling map of sediments across the sound, work with charter boat captains to deploy transmitters in speckled trout and red drum, conduct sediment and nutrient sampling. Year 2- Continue coordinating with MDMR staff on year 2 sampling locations, analyze data collected from Year 1 and share with MDMR, continue telemetry array downloads and movement analyses. Present preliminary data at a regional conference. Year 3- Maintain the array, complete analysis from years 1 and 2 and generate products. Present data to MDMR, present data to the public through outreach at a Gulf Coast Research Lab Science Cafe, and present data to other stakeholders and peers. Submit the first paper for publication.
- 13. Project Timing
- Short-term
- 14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):
- N/A Paid For
- 15. In what way does this project meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Marine Resources, which includes enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interest of Mississippi for present and future generations?
- With Mississippi fisheries stressed from natural and anthropogenic (e.g., Bonnet Carre openings) influences, the proposed work aims to provide a resource to the state to assist with their missions of enhancing, protecting, and conserving habitat and our rich marine resources. This is accomplished by providing high resolution data directly to the agency on movements, residency, and corridors for managed species at a time when restoration activities are high. Monitoring of locations to be restored or that have been restored can help the Finfish Bureau in determining how fish have responded to such activities. Additionally, the proposed sediment profile data/map of the sound that would be of use to the Coastal Preserves Bureau for the Beneficial Use Program, the Artificial Reef Bureau regarding placement of reefs in Mississippi Sound, and the Shellfish Bureau in regards to suitable bottom for oyster leases and with nutrient profiles around reefs.
- 16. Estimated Years To Completion
- 3
- 17. Estimated Completion Date
- 12/31/2029
- Budget:
- Salaries,Wages, Fringe
- $267,604
- Travel
- $7,014
- Architecture & Engineering
- Legal
- Consulting
- Construction
- Site Work
- Equipment
- Indirects
- $225,024
- Other
- $253,015
- Total
- $752,657
- Application Submission Date
- 08/12/2025
- Fiscal Year
- 2027
- Project Status
- Application Status
- Submitted
- Meets Criteria
- Internal Notes:
- Attachments:
- Hyperlink:
- Attachments