NOAA ANNOUNCES NEW COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE SERVING NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO
Climate And Coastal Hazards Among Research Themes
NOAA illustration.Nov. 13, 2006 — NOAA, along with a consortium of universities and institutions, announced the creation of a new cooperative institute. The new Northern Gulf Institute will collaborate with NOAA scientists to study regional issues associated with coastal hazards, climate change, water quality, ecosystem management, coastal wetlands and pollution. (Click NOAA illustration for larger view. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit “NOAA.”)
"This institute begins a new paradigm of long-term collaboration to develop and sustain research, education and outreach capabilities focusing on the needs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico region," said Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.), undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "This will benefit the residents of the region and also support NOAA's participation in the President’s U.S. Ocean Action Plan, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and the Gulf Coastal Ocean Observing System."
"This consortium of universities will work with NOAA to provide expertise in research and to take advantage of the world class scientific capabilities of the Stennis Space Center," said Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS). "The Northern Gulf of Mexico has critical ecosystem needs that will be addressed by this Cooperative Institute."
The consortium of universities and institutions includes Mississippi State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The new institute will conduct research under four themes: climate change and climate variability effects on regional ecosystems; coastal hazards; ecosystem management; and geospatial data integration and visualization in environmental science. Research conducted by the new institute also is expected to support the national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) through the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS). Read more