Gulf of Mexico Marine Aquaculture Park, and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences

Gulf of Mexico Marine Aquaculture Park, and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences partnered with the University of Southern Mississippi twenty years ago to help study and sustain Mississippi aquaculture.  Most of the seafood is imported to the United States from foreign waters and USM/Cedar Grove strives to help repopulate the seafood supplies in an effort to help cut down the importing of foreign marine life for the food industry.  It is a green, eco-friendly facility promoting education, investigation of aquaculture that can serve the world at large and provide a source of study for the coastal ecosystem.  The ground-breaking research taking place has interested the restaurant industry to use them as a potential source for a massive supply of soft shell crabs to use as appetizer dishes.  Although the Campus and Research Center is only available to researchers and students at this time, each summer, Sea Camp is offered for children ages 6 – 13 and Coastal Sciences Investigation Camp for youth ages 14-17.