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Welcome to the Coastal Ecology and Seagrass Biology Lab! We are part of the School of Ocean Science and Engineering and Division of Coastal Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi and are located at the Gulf Coastal Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, MS. 

Research in the Coastal Ecology and Seagrass Biology Lab focuses on:

1) The role of submerged, floating, and emergent coastal plants as habitat and food for nearshore animals

2) Seagrass reproductive ecology, including controls on reproductive timing and output, seed dispersal and seedling recruitment, and

3) Spatial and temporal patterns and environmental drivers of plant and animal distribution and condition

We use a combination of laboratory and field experiments and surveys to address hypothesis-driven questions related to coastal and benthic processes and relevant to coastal management, conservation and restoration.

A turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) seedling in Aransas Bay, TX

A turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) seedling in Aransas Bay, TX

Fragmented smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in Terrebonne Bay, LA

Fragmented smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in Terrebonne Bay, LA