Fourteen GCRL staff members made presentations
at the 2012 Bays & Bayous Symposium in Biloxi, MS
The symposium’s theme was “Finding a Common Currency: Natural Resource Economics, Ecology and Culture. GCRL presentations included nine oral presentations and three poster presentations. Topics included scientific research results related to the function of artificial reefs, hypoxia, runoff and rainwater effects, and habit use by hatchery raised striped bass. Other presentations addressed education-related topics such as hurricane resiliency and debris-free seas.
Presenters from the Lab: Kelsey Burns • Kevin S. Dillon • Jennifer Green • Elizabeth Jones •  Jill Hendon • Jessie Kastler • Michael R. Lowe • Viviana Mazzei  • Paul Mickle • Rebecca Mathias • Larry Nicholson • Mark S. Peterson • Chet Rakocinski • Chris Snyder

Chris Snyder, Director of the GCRL Marine Education Center, also serves on the symposium’s organizing committee. GCRL also had a booth showcasing the offerings available for graduate study and opportunities at the Marine Education Center.

The symposium was held on November 14-15, 2012 and drew more than 350 attendees from across the region. The biennial event provides brings scientists together with representatives of industry, government, and the public to address issues related to the Mississippi and Alabama coast, including the economic importance of coastal waters, educational programs and habitat restoration.
Complete list of topics and presenters with presentation abstracts

Nicholas Noriea – from Louisiana to Montana Nick was born and raised in New Orleans, where he developed a deep appreciation for the Gulf Coast and it’s unique beauty. After attending middle and high school on the north shore of Lake Pontchatrain, Nick returned to New Orleans to attend classes at the University of New Orleans. Nick developed a passion for scientific research in the fields of genetics and microbiology while working part-time in the UNO microbiology laboratory. He graduated in 2007 with a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemistry.

Wishing to advance scientific development on the Gulf Coast, Nick interviewed for the USM graduate program in August 2007 and accepted a position to work under Dr. Jay Grimes in GCRL's Marine Microbiology Laboratory. Nick graduated with his doctorate in May 2012 and is currently studying bacterial pathogenesis in a postdoctoral position at the National Institute of Health.
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Idrissa Boube – from Niger to New Orleans Idrissa came to the U.S. in 2000 to join his brother at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He moved from Africa, where he was in his second year of medical school at the University of Tizi-Ouzo in Algeria. Although Idrissa could speak multiple languages, English was not one of them. After completing an intensive 18-month English study program, he was accepted into a “bridge” program for about six months and then became an undergraduate. Idrissa graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Science. In July 2008, he interviewed with Dr. Brouwer at GCRL and came to work here in a tech position. He was later accepted into the graduate program at USM under Dr. Joe Griffitt. Idrissa completed his degree in May 2011.
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