Grand Bay NERR launches Habitat Series

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) offered a one-day course, “Introduction to Mississippi Coastal Habitats” on January 14, 2014. This workshop was designed to offer an introduction to the various habitat types found in MS as the basis for more advanced classes that will be held as part of the Series.

Seventy participants attended the workshop, including federal, county, and state agencies, university/colleges, non-profit groups, the private sector, and consultants that are doing work along the Gulf coast. The morning sessions focused on general concepts including historical ecology, natural habitat drivers, and paleo-climate and biogeography. The afternoon session focused on various habitats, including pine savanna and flatwoods, freshwater wetlands, seagrasses, coastal marshes, natural beaches, and maritime forests and shell middens.

Resources:

• Flyer
• Agenda
• Presentations
  • 1_Underwood_Coastal_Habitats
  • 2 Battaglia_Natural Habitat Drivers
  • 3 Dockery_Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
  • 4 Conservation and Management Areas
  • 5 Davis_FW Wetlands
  • 6 Davis_Longleaf Pine
  • 7 Boettcher_Seagrasses
  • 8 Caffrey_Marshes
  • 9 Mohrman_Natural Beaches
  • 10 Woodrey_Maritime Forest

Will Underwood, Grand Bay NERR’s Stewardship Coordinator, teaches participants about historical ecology.