Gulf  Coast  Restora.on  Ac.vi.es  

State  of  Mississippi  

Outline  

•  Gulf  Coast  Ecosystem  Restora.on  Council  &  Proposals  Submi>ed  by  Mississippi  

•  Restore  Mississippi  •  Center  of  Excellence  for  Mississippi  •  CONCORDE  

About the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council In July 2012, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and other environmental challenges in the Gulf Coast region, Congress passed the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act). The RESTORE Act:

� Creates a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund).

� Outlines a structure for use of the Trust Fund.

� Establishes the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council).

Council Mission and Responsibilities One of the Council’s primary responsibilities is to develop a Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region. The Initial Comprehensive Plan (approved in August 2013) establishes the Council’s goals for restoring and protecting the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast region.

The Council has oversight responsibility for 60% of the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, as shown in the second and third columns from the left, below.

Gulf  Coast  Ecosystem  Restora2on  Council    

Gulf  Coast  Ecosystem  Restora2on  Council    

Funded  Priori.es  List  from  MS  Eligible  for  first  $150-­‐$180M  Council-­‐Selected  

Restora.on  Component  (“Bucket  Two”)  

•  Strategic  Land  Protec.on,  Conserva.on,  and  Enhancement  of  Priority  Gulf  Coast  landscapes  

•  Enhancing  opportuni.es  for  beneficial  use  of  dredge  sediments    

•  The  Mississippi  Sound  Estuarine  Program:  A  programma.c  vision  for  bridging  coastal  restora.on  

Strategic  Land  Protec2on,  Conserva2on,  and  Enhancement  of  Priority  Gulf  Coast  landscapes  

 •  States:  FL,  TX,  LA,  MS,  AL  •  $103.5  M  over  5  years  •  No  men.on  of  GCOOS  or  of  how  coastal  monitoring  would  be  beneficial.  Some  monitoring  men.oned,  but  it  is  unclear  whether  any  will  be  in  coastal  waters.  

Enhancing  opportuni2es  for  beneficial  use  of  dredge  sediments    

•  States:  AL,  MS,  TX  •  $6.2  M  over  3  years  •  No  men.on  of  GCOOS  or  of  how  coastal  monitoring  would  be  beneficial  

•  Funds  are  budgeted  for  environmental  compliance  and  permi]ng,  but  it  is  unclear  if  monitoring  of  impacted  coastal  waters  will  be  included.    

The  Mississippi  Sound  Estuarine  Program  (MSEP):  A  programma2c  vision  for  bridging  

coastal  restora2on  •  States:  AL,  MS,  LA  •  $2.3  M  over  3  years  •  GCOOS  men.oned  as  a  “plug  in”  for  MSEP  to  “engage  a  Gulf-­‐wide  perspec.ve”  

•  Has  a  River-­‐to-­‐Sound  modeling  component  ($1.2M)  – Will  iden.fy  priori.es  and  data  gaps  for  model  development  

– “Adap.ve  field  data  to  fill  gaps”    

Mississippi  Department  of  Environmental  Quality  • MS  Restore  Trustee  •  Restore  MS  website  h>p://www.restore.ms  •  To  get  on  email  list  for  Restora(on  Mississippi  Updates  email:  lynn.kimberly7@gmail.com  

Restora.on  Mississippi  

Restora.on  Mississippi  Portal  •  Portal  set  up  for  5  page  proposal  concepts  plus  a>achments.  Not  

proposals  submi>ed  formally  by  ins.tu.ons.  •  If  concept  selected  full  proposal  will  be  developed.  •  >  2000  short  proposal  concepts  submi>ed  •  Over  50  bundled  concepts  submi>ed  by  USM  

–  5    submi>ed  with  explicit  GCOOS  connec.on  

•  1  Gulf  wide  HFR  monitoring  concept,  based  on  GCOOS  Build  Out  Plan,  submi>ed  (also  submi>ed  to  LA  portal).  The  Restora.on  Council  can  choose  to  fund  Gulf-­‐wide  projects,  but  they  have  to  originate  from  a  state  portal.    

About the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council In July 2012, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and other environmental challenges in the Gulf Coast region, Congress passed the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act). The RESTORE Act:

� Creates a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund).

� Outlines a structure for use of the Trust Fund.

� Establishes the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council).

Council Mission and Responsibilities One of the Council’s primary responsibilities is to develop a Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region. The Initial Comprehensive Plan (approved in August 2013) establishes the Council’s goals for restoring and protecting the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast region.

The Council has oversight responsibility for 60% of the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, as shown in the second and third columns from the left, below.

Center  of  Excellence  for  Mississippi  

•  Drah  RFP  released  by  MS-­‐DEQ  •  Available  by  emailing  Melanie  Green  at  MS-­‐DEQ:  melanie.green@deq.state.ms.us  

•  Comments  taken  through  Monday,  March  23,  2015:    melanie.green@deq.state.ms.us  

Center  of  Excellence  for  Mississippi  

R/V  Pt  Sur  

Collabora.on  between  USM  &  LUMCON  •  Purchased  by  USM  •  Operated  by  LUMCON  •  Home  Port:  Gulfport,  MS  

CONsor.um  for  oil  spill  exposure  pathways  in  Coastal  River-­‐Dominated  

Ecosystems  (CONCORDE)  •  GoMRI  funded  consor.um    •  Focus:  How  do  the  complex  fine-­‐scale  biological,  geological,  chemical  and  physical  structure  and  processes  in  coastal  waters  dominated  by  pulsed-­‐river  plumes  control  the  exposure,  impacts  and  ecosystem  recovery  from  offshore  spills  like  the  Deepwater  Horizon  release  of  2010?    

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A PREMEIRE GULF OF MEXICO GLIDER EVENT : JULY 2015

with the University of Southern Mississippi, Rutgers University, and Naval Research Laboratory

MISSION: The 2015 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Jubilee is a coordinated field demonstration of ocean observing technologies, focused in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Join us in this cooperative effort to coordinate disparate individual ocean research efforts and characterize ocean processes in the Gulf!

Real-time support for glider operations will be available through the Ocean Weather Lab (www.usm.edu/marine/research-owx)

The University of Southern Mississippi will provide gilder support products, including real-time ocean circulation models and satellite products to showcase how multiple technologies can be used to adaptively sample ocean processes. AUV data will be integrated with other real-time observations (satellite ocean color, circulation models, CODAR) for validation and assimilation into operational models as well as the creation of an enhanced ocean monitoring capability. Classroom teachers from across the region will participate in interactive operational oceanography and create educational materials so other educators can also teach their students this practical aspect of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Come join the Gulf Applied Science Party! The invitation is extended to participants from industry, universities, and federal agencies. Leverage existing research projects and collaborate with multiple institutions. Demonstrate novel capabilities of new instruments! Contact: Ryan.Vandermeulen@usm.edu ; 228-688-7127

Gliders can be “guided” to sample specific ocean features of interest using satellite ocean color data and physical circulation models.

AUV Jubilee Educational Outreach Teacher Professional Development : July 13-17, 2015

collaborate with researchers to incorporate practical skills into your science class

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) travel underwater to collect data such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen of the water through which they pass. Collaborate with scientists of the CONCORDE project working to understand the effects of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Project AUVs will collaborate with others in the Gulf for data collection. Remote sensing at Mission Control will allow researchers to adapt glider actions to meet conditions of the moment. Well-prepared science teachers (middle and high school, community college) are encouraged to apply. Participants receive: Stipend ($500), CEUs, lunch daily. Participants are strongly encouraged to stay in dormitories at GCRL (breakfast and lunch provided) This workshop is sponsored by a grant to USM from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

Monday Introduction to AUVs and the AUV Jubilee, GCRL, Ocean Springs, MS Tuesday Adaptive management and data interpretation with Mission Control scientists, Stennis Space Center, MS Wednesday AUV support cruise, RV E. O. Wilson, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, AL Thursday Adaptive management, data interpretation with Mission Control scientists, Stennis Space Center, MS. Early return to GCRL to complete classroom material development. Evenings Group will return to GCRL for dinner, after which 1-2 hours will be devoted to team work with project educators to incorporate the day’s experiences into classroom materials

Contact: Jessica.Kastler@usm.edu 228-872-4269 or Aaron.Lamey@usm.edu 228-818-8861 Register: http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/mec/teacher.professional.development.php