USM Invites Students to Explore the Upcoming Summer Field Program Fall Preview Day

Fri, 10/11/2024 - 02:52pm | By: Gabriela Shinskie

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), along with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), invites students to experience, explore, and learn through outdoor educational activities first-hand at the upcoming Summer Field Program Fall Preview Day on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Ocean Springs, Miss. 

This free event will allow students and coordinators from USM and affiliate institutions to take a deeper dive into the 78th year of the program, where participants experience an immersive academic experience studying coastal environments aboard research vessels and in a laboratory-based setting.

Dr. Laura Blackmon, Summer Field Program Coordinator and Associate Director of USM’s Marine Education Center, values USM’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, allowing for many research opportunities.

“The Summer Field Program Preview Day this fall will allow students a glimpse of what the field-intensive coastal science courses taught at GCRL each summer have to offer. Students will stay on campus and then venture out early Saturday aboard the R/V Jim Franks to explore the Mississippi Sound, learn about the unique coastal ecosystem, and sample some of the rich biodiversity found along the northern Gulf of Mexico,” said Blackmon.

Participants will stay at GCRL’s beachfront dormitories and dining hall on Friday and Saturday nights as an opportunity to explore all the program offers for those interested in being a part of the Summer Field Program. Dr. Kelly Darnell, GCRL Director, is thankful for the student’s experiences with the program and its continuation on campus.

“Time and again, we hear from students how their experience at GCRL was life changing. Preview day will give even more students the opportunity to experience GCRL and spark an interest in the ocean and ecosystems that are right at our doorstep,” said Darnell.

The Summer Field Program offers two sessions in June and July where students take immersive classes focused on shark biology, invertebrate zoology, oceanography, marine conservation, marine ichthyology, and more. Students earn academic credit offered through USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE). The program is offered for undergraduate and graduate students.

Click here to sign up for the Summer Field Program Preview Day. Click here to learn more about the Summer Field Program and be a part of a premier marine laboratory on the Gulf of Mexico.