Coastal Research and Extension Center
HISTORY

Mississippi's marine extension program, officially known as the Mississippi Sea Grant Advisory Service, was initiated in 1970 to provide an extension arm for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium's parent organization, the University Marine Center. The logical affiliation of this extension program with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service (MCES) was recognized early in the Mississippi Sea Grant Program's life. Initially, the Advisory Service Program consisted of one-half FTE whose primary responsibilities were recreation and tourism. This tie between the Advisory Service Program and the MCES has obviously resulted in the tailoring of the Advisory Service Program so that it is compatible with both the MCES's administrative structure and the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Program's information delivery needs.

By the mid-1970, the Sea Grant Advisory Services Program has grown form one-half FTE to three FTEs, with two FTEs, primarily devoted to the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries, as well as recreational fishing and environmental issues. One FTE was devoted primarily to youth education and to other aspects of the recreation and tourism industry. In 1975, the present head of the Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC) was promoted to program leader of the Sea Grant Advisory Service Program, and has remained in that position. During the time frame between 1975 and 1995, significant changes have taken place in the staffing of the Advisory Service Program in terms of personnel and discipline programming areas. As a percentage of total effort, the total time presently devoted to the commercial fishing and seafood processing industry has decreased. Other discipline areas have been included as major programming thrusts during this time frame, including aquaculture, wetlands, and natural resource economics. These shifts in programming emphasis came about largely as a result of staffing changes and reflect the expertise brought to bear by the individuals in these positions (described in following sections).

During the period of the mid to late 1980's and under the leadership of the MCES, two MAFES research facilities were established with federal and private partnerships on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 1985, as a result of an educational program held by the Mississippi Sea Grant Advisory Service on aquaculture in coastal Mississippi, Mississippi Power Company and MSU jointly agreed to the establishment of a cooperative research unit to focus on aquaculture suited for coastal areas. Mississippi Power Company provided property and $250,000 for the start up of this unit. In addition, substantial state and federal resources were focused on the establishment of the Coastal Aquaculture Unit (CAU). The original organizational structure included it as part of the South Mississippi Branch Station of the MAFES. In 1987, MCES approached the MAFES about joint appointment for the program leader of Advisory Services. The position of coordinator of Coastal Aquaculture was created by the Division of Agriculture and the Sea Grant Advisory Service program leader was promoted to that position. It was later to be transferred to a newly created Coastal Research and Extension Center.

In the late 1980s, Mississippi State University (MSU) and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), created a cooperative agreement establishing the Experimental Seafood Processing Laboratory (ESPL). This laboratory's mission is to focus attention on the potential of unexploited Gulf resources. This cooperative agreement provides for joint staffing of facility with NMFS providing a substantial part of the equipment and MSU providing physical facilities. The ESPL was completed in 1989 and is staffed by a full-time NMFS and a full-time MSU scientist. The MSU scientist has a split appointment between the MCES and the MAFES. In addition to the scientist, a support staff is in placed to expedite research and extension activities, that has included proprietary research by private industry

In 1988, the Division of Agriculture at MSU created the Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC). All of the Division of Agriculture units in five south Mississippi counties were thus included under one administrative umbrella. The CREC, as then structured, included the Mississippi Sea Grant Advisory Service Program, county extension staffs in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, George, and Stone Counties, an area horticulture specialist, area consumer money management specialist, area nutrition specialist, area vegetable marketing specialist, and the CAU and ESPL. In1990, after a restructure under the MCES, the number of counties included as part of the CREC was increased from 5 to 12.

The CREC is structured to provide education and outreach for Mississippi coastal residents regarding almost every aspect of the coastal environment - fisheries, seafood processing, aquaculture, wetland management, marine industry, recreation, economics and law. Emerging issues over the last several years have provided opportunities for extramural applied research funding which is used to support the education and outreach programs developed by specialist at the CREC. Therefore, there has been a marked shift from pure extension programming toward a more balanced blend of research and education in keeping with the overall philosophy which led to the development of research and extension centers throughout Mississippi. This new approach has served our clientele well, although in practice it is often difficult to distinguish between "pure research" and "pure extension" in the overall programs the specialists have developed and are responsible for.