Marine Education Center
Teacher Programs
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The Marine Education Center offers professional development programs for K-12 classroom
teachers. These programs cover an assortment of marine and coastal processes and current
issues, and are sponsored through a variety of sources.
Teaching Resources
Creatures of the Deep: Traveling Trunks
When students imagine think of coral reefs, often they picture vibrant reefs teeming with life. But deep beneath the surface, far beyond the reach of sunlight, lies another world of thriving coral, ancient creature and cutting-edge science. Thanks to a partnership between the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) and The University of Southern Mississippi鈥檚 Marine Education Center (MEC), educators can now bring this hidden world to life through the 鈥淢ysteries of the Deep鈥� Traveling Trunk program.
Each Traveling Trunk is a ready-to-use educational toolkit that shares real-world applications surrounding the science of deep-sea restoration. Designed for grades 3-12, every trunk includes two educational units designed using the 5e Model, educator guides and access to short films, documentaries, live-streams and other media resources produced through the Mysteries of the Deep project.
Developed by the MEC, the trunks connect students to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led restoration of deep-sea habitats in the northern Gulf impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Materials cover ROVs, coral propagation, deep-sea mapping and more.
Click to reserve your kit today!
A Classroom Course in Community Resilience
Community Resilience in the Classroom promotes K-12 student awareness of watersheds and their connections to the Gulf of Mexico through classroom and field instruction in climate change and rising sea level, especially high tide flooding and increased storm surge. Students work in teams to address an authentic challenge in community resilience. Selected teams from each school compete in a Stewardship Summit judged by community resilience professionals. Since 2016, over 1000 students from 12 schools in Mississippi and Alabama have completed the program in person or virtually. This program was developed through a grant from NOAA's Bay Watershed Education and Training Program (B-WET) and in partnership with Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Curriculum.
Sturgeon in the Watershed
The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience in the Mississippi Sound watersheds. The Project uses previously developed classroom and field elements of map use and water sampling to teach students basic watershed concepts. New content introduces habitat use of the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers by the endangered Gulf Sturgeon as a way of discussing natural and human changes occurring in watersheds where participating students live and learn. Curriculum.
Summer 2027 TPD Programs
From Reef to Classroom: Oyster Aquaculture on the Mississippi Coast
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June 8 & 9, 2027
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Currents of Innovation: Exploring Blue Technology along Mississippi鈥檚 Coastline
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June 22-24, 2027
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Down to the Sound: A Teacher's Guide to Watershed Education
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July 7 & 8, 2027
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CEUs are available for teachers through the University of Southern Mississippi and the Southern Regional Education Service Agency (S-RESA). The number of CEUs awarded is specific to each program. Participants must register through S-RESA to obtain CEU credit.
Overnight Lodging: Participants who are traveling for the program may reserve a room in the GCRL dormitory
if space is available. We can also recommend several local hotels. Please call for
information.
Directions to the Marine Education Center:
Google "Gulf Coast Research Laboratory CEDAR POINT CAMPUS"
What to Bring / Field Gear
鈥� Closed-Toe Shoes-shoes (required) that you don鈥檛 mind getting wet and sandy!
鈥� Sunscreen
鈥� Sunglasses
鈥� Hat
鈥� Bug Repellent
鈥� Water Bottle
鈥� Field Clothes
鈥� Motion Sickness Medication (vessel based programs)
鈥� Camera
鈥� Waterproof case/bag for electronics
All field programs are subject to substitution of activities or postponement for poor weather. We will inform registered participants of any changes via email.