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DMR hosts Hollings Scholars and interns for coastal research projects this summer
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Summary
The department introduced three NOAA Hollings Scholars and a DMR intern who will work on oyster-drill distribution, phytoplankton monitoring, marsh elevation assessment via lidar, and macro-benthic invertebrate sorting for restoration studies.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources introduced three NOAA Hollings Scholars and one DMR intern who will work with staff this summer on research projects supporting coastal management.
Ayesha (program staff) said the agency received three Hollings Scholars for the first time in a decade. The scholars and projects are: Cohen Maguera (University of South Florida), conducting field surveys and mesocosm work on oyster-drill distribution and sediment preferences; Justin Osborne (Coastal Carolina University), monitoring spatial and temporal phytoplankton patterns with weekly water sampling; and Jessica Yasinski (Elmira College), using GIS and lidar-derived digital elevation models to compare marsh elevation datasets between 2013 and 2017–2018 to assess utility and error in lidar-derived models. DMR also named Alexis Gentry (University of Southern Mississippi) as the DMR intern, focusing on sorting and identifying macro-benthic invertebrates from downstream-effects restoration sampling.
Ayesha said the projects support management goals including oyster restoration and downstream-effects monitoring; staff described the work as hands-on training and a source of workforce development for the agency.
Commissioners welcomed the students and praised the opportunity for on-the-job training in coastal science.
