GOMESA Application Details
- Internal Project Number
- 281415
- 1. Title of Project
- Mississippi Gulf Seafood
- 2. Location of Project
- Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties, Mississippi
- 3. Requesting Organization
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau dba Coastal Mississippi
- 4a. Name
- Kendra Simpson
- 4b. Position
- 4c. Phone Number
- 2282242075
- 4d. Fax Number
- 4e. Address Line 1
- PO Box 8005
- 4e. Address Line 2
- 4e. City, State Zip
- Biloxi, MS 39530
- 4f. Email
- kendra@coastalmississippi.com
- 5. FundingRequested
- $6,800,000
- Awarded Amount:
- 6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources
- Yes
- 7a. Amount of Additional Funds
- $2,349,990
- 7b. Source of Additional Funds
- Tidelands+DMR
- 8. Total Project Funds Amount
- $9,150,000
- 9. Project Description/Overview
- Coastal Mississippi, at the request of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), will administer the Mississippi Gulf Seafood program, a five-year marketing and industry-support initiative centered on Mississippi's coastal seafood resource and the businesses that depend on it. GOMESA-funded work will be based in and principally benefit Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties. The program will increase awareness and demand for domestic Gulf seafood harvested, landed, processed and sold through Mississippi's coastal seafood economy; educate consumers about Gulf species, sourcing, fisheries management and conservation; and strengthen the commercial viability of fishermen, seafood dealers/processors, restaurants and other coastal businesses. Coastal Mississippi will administer partner enrollment; maintain a consumer and partner program hub; develop photo/video assets and conservation/sourcing content; execute paid, owned and earned media; produce participant toolkits; operate the Mississippi Gulf Seafood Trail; conduct culinary activations; and measure performance. MDMR will serve as product authority and establish program requirements, compliance standards and participant removal. Participating businesses must meet program sourcing requirements, including a minimum domestic seafood threshold. Consumer media and partner recruitment extends beyond the Coast to reach travelers and seafood buyers, so the GOMESA funded project's resource focus, administration and principal economic benefit remain the three Mississippi coastal counties. Year 1 emphasizes development and launch; Years 2-5 sustain media, content, partner participation, activations and measurement.
- 10. Project Goals/Objectives
- 1. Increase consumer demand and revenue for Mississippi Gulf seafood and the coastal fishermen, dealers, processors and businesses that depend on it. 2. Recruit and support participating restaurants, seafood markets and grocers that meet the program's domestic seafood sourcing requirement, providing no-cost marketing benefits that reward domestic sourcing. 3. Educate consumers about Mississippi Gulf species, coastal habitats, responsible sourcing, fisheries management and MDMR conservation efforts. 4. Increase culinary visitation and seafood-related economic activity in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties. 5. Build broader market visibility and distribution for Mississippi Gulf seafood. 6. Create measurable consumer action through the program hub, Seafood Trail, email, social media, paid media and partner promotions. 7. Support long-term economic resiliency of Mississippi's coastal seafood industry and working waterfront communities. 8. Measure performance annually and optimize media and program investment based on results.
- 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: The project advances coastal conservation through sustained public education and outreach that connects the economic value of Mississippi Gulf seafood to the health of coastal habitats and fisheries. Campaign content will feature Gulf species, estuaries, responsible sourcing, MDMR resource-management and conservation efforts, and the working waterfront communities that depend on healthy coastal resources. The project also supports the economic resiliency of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties by strengthening demand for a coastal industry whose long-term viability depends on conservation of the Gulf's natural resources.
- (B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.
- Yes: The project supports mitigation of impacts to fish and natural resources through sustained education and behavior-change messaging that promotes responsible use of Mississippi-managed Gulf species and increases public understanding of fisheries conservation. Content will explain seasonal species, sourcing, habitat, restoration and MDMR conservation/management efforts, and will direct consumers to participating businesses committed to domestic seafood. The program links seafood demand to stewardship, helping build public support for the management and conservation actions that sustain Mississippi's fisheries and coastal ecosystems.
- (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
- FY2027 / Year 1: Execute agreements and procurement; begin program staffing and participant recruitment; develop the program hub, CRM/application workflow and Seafood Trail; build photo/video asset library; finalize toolkit and campaign creative; establish baseline measurement; launch paid, owned and earned media and initial activations. FY2028 / Year 2: Sustain media; expand participating businesses; operate annual Restaurant Week and quarterly activations; publish weekly partner features and recurring chef/sourcing content; conduct annual media attribution and optimize channel investment. FY2029 / Year 3: Refresh creative and content; continue partner growth, media, trail, activations and conservation education; evaluate mid-program performance and adjust markets/channels. FY2030 / Year 4: Maintain sustained campaign rhythm; refresh assets; deepen first-party data and retargeting; continue annual measurement, reporting and optimization. FY2031 / Year 5: Sustain highest-performing program elements; complete final content/media cycle; conduct final evaluation and performance reporting; document continuation/sustainability recommendations and closeout. Grant reporting and financial reconciliation will occur throughout the project; Coastal Mississippi and MDMR will maintain a regular coordination cadence.
- 13. Project Timing
- Deferred/Long-term
- 14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):
- Other NA - Marketing Program Funds Not Budgeted
- 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?
- MDMR's mission is to enhance, protect and conserve Mississippi's marine interests while providing for optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses consistent with environmental concerns. This project advances that mission by pairing conservation education with direct economic support for the coastal seafood industry. MDMR remains the product and compliance authority; Coastal Mississippi converts that authority into a consumer-facing program that rewards businesses for domestic Gulf sourcing and provides no-cost marketing support. Campaign content will explain Mississippi Gulf species, fisheries management, habitat, responsible sourcing and the people whose livelihoods depend on healthy marine resources. The program is designed to increase demand for Mississippi Gulf seafood, support fishermen and the coastal supply chain, strengthen culinary tourism in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties, and create measurable public engagement with MDMR's resource-management story. Annual media attribution, participant metrics, digital engagement and Seafood Trail activity will be used to evaluate performance and optimize investment over the five-year period.
- 16. Estimated Years To Completion
- 5
- 17. Estimated Completion Date
- 6/30/2031
- Budget:
- Salaries,Wages, Fringe
- $175,000
- Travel
- $50,000
- Architecture & Engineering
- $0
- Legal
- $0
- Consulting
- $0
- Construction
- $0
- Site Work
- $0
- Equipment
- $0
- Indirects
- $0
- Other
- $8,925,000
- Total
- $9,150,000
- Application Submission Date
- 08/09/2026
- Fiscal Year
- 2028
- Project Status
- Application Status
- Submitted
- Meets Criteria
- Internal Notes:
- Attachments:
- https://gomesa.dmr.ms.gov/attachments/GOMESA_1415_Attachment.pdf
- Hyperlink:
- Attachments