October 28-29, 2008
Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center
Biloxi, MS

Press Release (PDF, 34 KB)

Now available: Proceedings from the Alabama-Mississippi Bays & Bayous Symposium of November 27-29, 2006 (PDF, 1.25 MB)

The two-day event will include oral and poster presentations, keynote speakers and networking opportunities. Bays and Bayous will provide a venue for non-technical individuals interested in coastal ecosystems, education and preservation to learn about the most relevant and contemporary issues facing Mississippi and Alabama. Scientists will present their research findings in language everyone can understand.

This year, presentations at the symposium will focus on living marine resources, natural hazards resiliency and the ocean’s role in climate, community action and coastal stewardship, water quality and nutrient input, habitat management and restoration, and extension, outreach and education.

Discussions related to extension, outreach, education and community action efforts will be new to the symposium. This addition is an opportunity for educators, master naturalists, oyster gardening volunteers and members of other community organizations to share information at the event.

Bays and Bayous is organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf of Mexico Program, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, the Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico, the Northern Gulf Institute, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mississippi State University Extension Service, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, the Alabama Department of Marine Resources, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center, and the GeoResources Institute.

Symposium Goal:
The 2008 Bays and Bayous Symposium will provide a forum for the exchange of technical yet practical information among scientists, resource managers, elected officials, community leaders, citizens, marine related industries, private citizens, among others.

Objectives: