Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Articles

Network Interns Volunteer Support After Katrina

The effectiveness of college internships often vary dramatically. Sometimes an internship can provide excellent work experiences but on other occasions work may be less than satisfactory. When an internship comes along that provides an excellent opportunity for learning, leadership, and contributions to society, it is quite rewarding to all involved. Just such an internship was provided soon after Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi gulf coast on August 29, 2005.

Evaluating Food Systems in Comprehensive Planning: Is the Mississippi Gulf Coast Planning for Food?

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is famous for its shrimp, oysters, and crabs. Seafood is an essential part of both the culture and the diet of coastal residents. The last five years have been hard on the seafood industry, first with Hurricane Katrina, then the national recession, and then the Deep water Horizon oil spill. In the five years following the Hurricane, all of the cities and counties on the Mississippi Gulf Coast prepared comprehensive plans. This paper examines the degree to which food systems has been incorporated into the comprehensive plans developed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It finds that food systems have not been adequately integrated into the plans. The plans begin to touch on food systems, but The plans fail to create a factual basis to support planning for food systems, setting limited goals to support food systems and proposes limited implementation measures to support systems. While the region as a whole has not yet planned for food systems, there are instances where communities are examining the future of food. This article concludes by offering recommendations on how communities can improve their plans relative to food systems as they move into their next phase of regional planning.

Trace element concentrations in surface estuarine and marine sediments along the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina

Hurricanes are relatively frequent ecological disturbances that may cause potentially long-term impacts to the coastal environment. Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005, and caused a storm surge with the potential to change the trace element content of coastal surface sediments. In this study, surface estuarine and marine sediments were collected monthly following the storm from ten sites along the Mississippi Gulf Coast (Mobile Bay, Grand Bay Bayous Heron and Cumbest, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Biloxi Gulf, Back Biloxi Bay, Gulfport Gulf, Gulfport Courthouse Rd, and Gulfport Marina). Concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to evaluate their temporal and spatial variations in the year following Hurricane Katrina. Sediments were characterized by pH, particle size distribution and total carbon and nitrogen content. Trace element contents of the sediments were determined in both <2 mm and <63 μm grain size fractions. Results revealed no significant temporal and spatial variability in trace element concentrations, in either size fraction. Potential ecological risk of the sediments was assessed by using NOAA SQuiRTs' guideline values; most concentrations remained below probable adverse effects guidelines to marine organisms suggesting that trace elements redistributed by Hurricane Katrina would not cause an adverse impact on resident organisms. Instead, the concentrations of trace elements were site-dependent, with specific contaminants relating to the use of the area prior to Hurricane Katrina.

An integrated WRF/HYSPLIT modeling approach for the assessment of PM2.5 source regions over the Mississippi Gulf Coast region

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is majorly formed by precursor gases, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are emitted largely from intense industrial operations and transportation activities. PM2.5 has been shown to affect respiratory health in humans. Evaluation of source regions and assessment of emission source contributions in the Gulf Coast region of the USA will be useful for the development of PM2.5 regulatory and mitigation strategies. In the present study, the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model driven by the Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model is used to identify the emission source locations and transportation trends. Meteorological observations as well as PM2.5 sulfate and nitric acid concentrations were collected at two sites during the Mississippi Coastal Atmospheric Dispersion Study, a summer 2009 field experiment along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Meteorological fields during the campaign were simulated using WRF with three nested domains of 36, 12, and 4 km horizontal resolutions and 43 vertical levels and validated with North American Mesoscale Analysis. The HYSPLIT model was integrated with meteorological fields derived from the WRF model to identify the source locations using backward trajectory analysis. The backward trajectories for a 24-h period were plotted at 1-h intervals starting from two observation locations to identify probable sources. The back trajectories distinctly indicated the sources to be in the direction between south and west, thus to have origin from local Mississippi, neighboring Louisiana state, and Gulf of Mexico. Out of the eight power plants located within the radius of 300 km of the two monitoring sites examined as sources, only Watson, Cajun, and Morrow power plants fall in the path of the derived back trajectories. Forward dispersions patterns computed using HYSPLIT were plotted from each of these source locations using the hourly mean emission concentrations as computed from past annual emission strength data to assess extent of their contribution. An assessment of the relative contributions from the eight sources reveal that only Cajun and Morrow power plants contribute to the observations at the Wiggins Airport to a certain extent while none of the eight power plants contribute to the observations at Harrison Central High School. As these observations represent a moderate event with daily average values of 5–8 μg m−3 for sulfate and 1–3 μg m−3 for HNO3 with differences between the two spatially varied sites, the local sources may also be significant contributors for the observed values of PM2.5.

Dr. Samuel Adolphus Cartwright on Dissecting the White Negro, 1851

Dr. Samuel Adolphus Cartwright on Dissecting the White Negro, 1851 Natasha Trethewey (bio) To strip from the flesh the specious skin; to weigh in the brainpan seeds of white pepper; to find in the body its own diminishment— blood-deep and definite; to measure the heft of lack; to make of the work of faith the work of science, evidence the word of God: Canaan be the servant of servants; thus to know the truth of this: (this derelict corpus, a dark compendium, this atavistic assemblage—flatter feet, bowed legs, a shorter neck) so deep the tincture —see it!— we still know white from not. [End Page 124] Natasha Trethewey Natasha Trethewey is author of Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and three collections of poetry, Domestic Work (Graywolf, 2000), Bellocq’s Ophelia (Graywolf, 2002), and Native Guard (Houghton Mifflin, 2006), for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. She is the recipient of NEA, Guggenheim, Bunting, and Rockefeller fellowships. At Emory University she is Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing. Her new book, Thrall, is forthcoming from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2012. Copyright © 2011 Middlebury College Publications

Did H1N1 Influenza Prevention Messages Reach the Vulnerable Population Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast?

To identify the primary sources of information utilized by a vulnerable population during the 2009 influenza pandemic and examine disease prevention behaviors related to reports of local H1N1 influenza transmission. Cross-sectional study. Between May 2009 and December 2009, face-to-face interviews were conducted in towns located in 3 Mississippi counties along the Gulf Coast. Two hundred sixteen residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast were interviewed. Analysis of the interview results described awareness of the influenza outbreak/pandemic and sources of information about the situation. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in reported disease-preventive behaviors taken by Mississippi Gulf Coast residents before and after H1N1 influenza transmission was confirmed locally. Most subjects were aware of H1N1 influenza at the time of interview (n = 212; 98%). Television (n = 145; 69%), newspaper (n = 40; 19%), and the Internet (n = 19; 9%) were the most common sources of information regarding H1N1 influenza. Hand hygiene (n = 85; 41%) was the most reported preventive measure adopted by study subjects and increased following the confirmation of the first H1N1 influenza cases in Harrison County (χ= 4.46, p= 0.04). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's emphasis on providing health information about H1N1 primarily through the Internet may not have been effective in reaching the public. Provision of health messages through various mediums, especially television, may better inform the public of disease-related prevention messages during a developing influenza pandemic.

Slope stability modeling and analysis of T-wall subjected to hurricane loading

<p>In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, significant damages to the Hurricane Protection System (HPS) were observed in the New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas. Pile supported T-walls are one of the most important components of the HPS in the New Orleans area and its vicinity. Due to the unsatisfactory performance of some of the HPS measures, during the above hurricanes, the New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others have undertaken an extensive investigation and re-evaluation of the design criteria of the T-walls from the perspective of its stability against future hurricane loadings. These resulting guidelines are being incorporated in the Hurricane and Storm damage Risk Reduction Guidelines (HSDRRG, 2007). The stability analysis and modeling of T-walls are significantly different from the stability analysis of other structures. They must be analyzed for unbalanced loads arising from the stability analysis which are assumed to be carried by the supporting piles beneath the wall and the analysis should not consider any water load acting directly on the structure, as these loads are presumed to be carried by the supporting piles. Historically, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers had generally relied upon the simplified Method of Planes (MOP) slope stability analysis of T-wall, which satisfies only force equilibrium. However, their recent evaluation revealed that MOP is not very suitable for the stability modeling and analysis of T-walls. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive slope stability modeling and analysis procedure based on total limit equilibrium (such as Spencer's method of analysis) that can be incorporated in the new design guidelines. MOP can then be retained as a design check for the results obtained using Spencer's analysis.</p><p>In this paper, a comparative evaluation of the slope stability analyses of T-walls are presented using the above two distinct approaches of slope stability analysis. In addition, the effect of optimization of the failure surfaces on the stability analysis results is investigated in detail. Numerical example of a typical T-wall stability analysis using the two different procedures is presented to demonstrate the above procedures. The findings have indicated that the MOP analysis appeared to be conservative compared to the total limit equilibrium method.</p>

Intrusive thoughts and young children’s knowledge about thinking following a natural disaster

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005. Intrusive re-experiencing is a common posttraumatic stress symptom. However, young children with limited introspection skills might have difficulties identifying their intrusive thoughts. A sample of 165 5- to 9-year-old children were surveyed about their unwanted intrusive thoughts and their knowledge about thinking, 10 months following the hurricane. Results replicate and extend the findings from a previous study (Sprung, 2008). Although there was no difference in the overall occurrence of intrusive thoughts, there was a striking difference between hurricane-exposed and control children in their contents. Children's knowledge about thinking was linked to their ability to report on their negative intrusive thoughts, even taking language ability into account. There is a shift toward negative content following hurricane exposure compared with non-hurricane-exposed children and knowledge about thinking is linked to the reporting of such intrusive thoughts. Implications for current research on autobiographical memory and for interventions following potentially traumatic events are discussed.

Islam, Migration, and Integration: The Age of Securitization. By Ayhan Kaya. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Pp. 249.

Previous articleNext article No AccessIslam, Migration, and Integration: The Age of Securitization. By Ayhan Kaya. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Pp. 249.Robert J. Pauly, Jr.Robert J. Pauly, Jr.University of Southern Mississippi–Gulf Coast Search for more articles by this author University of Southern Mississippi–Gulf CoastPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 116, Number 2September 2010 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/656254 Views: 86Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref © 2010 by the University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Senem Aydın-Düzgit European parliament ‘doing’ Europe, Journal of Language and Politics 14, no.11 (May 2015): 154–174.https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.14.1.08ayd

Hurricane Katrina and Mental Health: A Research Note on Mississippi Gulf Coast Residents*

Katrina was the most devastating and deadliest hurricane in recent U.S. history. The storm was particularly destructive for residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast where sustained winds of 135 mph and a storm surge of 32 feet literally obliterated the built and modified environments. Limited research exists on the chronic (32 months) mental health impacts of survivors in this geographical area. Random-digit dialing telephone surveys were administered in Harrison and Hancock counties (Mississippi) in April and May 2008 and data were collected on a number of mental health outcomes. The results of the calculation of Oridinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models revealed that females, African Americans, and less-educated residents manifested the most severe mental health impacts. Most important, consistent findings for depression and Katrina-related psychological stress indicate that residents who were separated from family members, had maximum residential damage, and suffered severe financial problems remained significantly impacted 32 months after Katrina’s landfall. A secondary stressor, in the form of having applications to the Mississippi State Grant Program denied or not processed also predicted personal depression. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Lessons Learned Conducting Drilling and CO2-Injection Operations at the Victor J. Daniel Power Plant in Mississippi

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 124003, ’Lessons Learned While Conducting Drilling and CO2- Injection Operations at the Victor J. Daniel Power Plant in Mississippi,’ by George Koperna, SPE, David Riestenberg, SPE, and Robin Petrusak, SPE, Ad - vanced Resources International; Richard Esposito, Southern Company Generation; and Dick Rhudy, Electrical Power Research Institute, prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4-7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Lessons learned from a CO2-injection pilot in southeastern Mississippi highlight issues unique to injection at a power plant. Conventional oil and gas technology was used to track CO2 in the subsurface. An electric-power-generating facility hosted a CO2-sequestration demonstration as part of the Southeast Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership. The primary goal was to provide a foundation for safe and secure storage of CO2 in a deep saline reservoir within a power plant’s property boundary. Introduction In 2008, Mississippi Power Company’s Victor J. Daniel Jr. electric-power-generating facility, in Jackson County, Mississippi, hosted a CO2-sequestration demonstration sponsored by the US Department of Energy (USDOE). The geological-review process identified saline reservoirs for CO2 storage, with the Lower Tuscaloosa formation as the most promising. An observation well, Mississippi Power Company 11-1 (MPC 11-1), and the injection well (MPC 11-2) were drilled during the first half of 2008. In October 2008, more than 3,000 T of CO2 were injected into the Lower Tuscaloosa formation. Fig. 1 shows the location of the two wells on the plant’s property. Regional Characterization The test site, like many potential deep-saline-aquifer storage sites, lies in a region with little historical oil and gas activity. As such, only sparse subsurface data were available within the area, and a regional approach to characterizing the subsurface was used. All available geological information for the region was gathered to characterize the subsurface geology. Only one existing well penetrated the injection and confining intervals within 5 miles of the test site. No recent, high-quality seismic data were available in the immediate area. However, given that the coastal-plain strata along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are characteristically laterally extensive and contain no significant structural deformations (folding or faulting), a regional approach to describe the geology was deemed appropriate as the first step. The observation well (cased, but not completed), 175 ft from the injection well, was scheduled to be drilled and logged (with a full suite of tools) before drilling the injection well to ensure that the test site would be suitable.

Use of bioassays and sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations to assess toxicity at coastal sites impacted by Hurricane Katrina

The goal of the present study was twofold: to rapidly assess the potential environmental toxicological response following the storm surge and flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, USA, in August 2005, and to establish post-Katrina baseline toxicological profiles for three environmental matrices (water, suspended sediments, and sediments) within the intertidal zone. Sediment and water samples were collected monthly from September 2005 to 2006 from 10 sites along the Gulf Coast from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Mobile Bay, Alabama. Water samples and suspended sediment matrices were extracted, assayed, and toxic equivalent values calculated for compounds with estrogenic potential, using the yeast estrogen screen, and CYP1A induction potential, using the H4IIE rat hepatoma ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase assay. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surface sediments. It was hypothesized that the more heavily storm impacted sites, those closest to Katrina's path and time of landfall (e.g., Gulfport, September-October 2005), would elicit higher bioassay responses and PAH concentrations compared to those further east or approximately a year post-Katrina (e.g., Mobile Bay, August- September 2006). Benzo[a]pyrene equivalents decreased along spatial and temporal storm intensity gradients, but estrogenic compounds and sediment PAHs did not. Estrogen equivalents (approximately 1 ng/L) from water and suspended sediment samples occurred primarily in samples collected within a few months post-Katrina. Site-averaged surface sediment total PAHs varied significantly between sites and were higher than the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's probable effects level at the Gulfport Marina and Back Biloxi Bay, Mississippi, sites. Results from the present study suggest that CYP1A inducing compounds elicited a short-term bioassay response in the water matrix shortly (within weeks) after Katrina's passing but were quickly reduced.

Social Vulnerability and Hurricane Impact Modeling

Numerical hurricane loss and impact prediction models have become widely used as tools to determine property damages. To yield loss estimates, models often combine building stock, economic data, and vulnerability functions in an effort to relate wind and surges to expected damages. Within this framework, vulnerability refers only to damage or economic loss to physical structures. Societal factors influencing building exposure and damage are disregarded although research shows that growing populations, increased wealth, and demographic shifts in high hazard areas are partially responsible for increased loss during the past 25 years. This paper addresses this missing societal component in hurricane loss modeling by examining two questions: (1) to what extent can a quantified measure of social vulnerability be incorporated into numerical hurricane impact modeling to improve loss prediction; and (2) which indicators of social vulnerability explain spatial differences in impacts from the wind and storm surge hazards associated with hurricanes? The social vulnerability index was coupled with a surface wind analysis, a storm surge inundation model, and a damage database along Mississippi's Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. All components were input into a series of multiple regression analyses to explore the relationships between social vulnerability and hurricane impact. A relationship between social parameters, hurricane winds, storm surge inundation, and impact exists at both extensive and catastrophic levels of damage, and results reinforce the conclusions of earlier studies that illustrate the effects of social vulnerability on hurricane impacts.

Working with Children Affected by Hurricane Katrina: Two Case Studies in Play Therapy.

In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast Regions. Throughout history, mental health professionals have primarily focused on adults as the identified victims of natural disasters. More recently, mental health professionals are focused on integrating mental health services to children and adolescents. This article discusses the impact natural disasters have on children, and the related traumatic stress response and post traumatic stress disorder often experienced by children. Treating children can be complicated and a developmentally appropriate intervention is needed. Evidenced-based research has shown play therapy to be a developmentally effective intervention with traumatised children. This article presents two case studies of play therapy with children affected by Hurricane Katrina.

On the viability of PTSD Checklist (PCL) short form use: Analyses from Mississippi Gulf Coast Hurricane Katrina survivors.

One measure commonly used to assess posttraumatic stress disorder is the PTSD Checklist (PCL). Lang and Stein (2005) extracted 4 subsets of PCL items, validating 2 of them for possible use in screening in primary care settings. The viability of the 4 item subsets was evaluated psychometrically in the present study with a sample of Hurricane Katrina survivors (N = 337). Corrected item-total and corrected item-cluster correlations were calculated and compared with those obtained by Lang and Stein. In addition, the sensitivity, specificity, and overall correct classification of the 4 item subsets were evaluated. With methodology approximating Lang and Stein's work, the current data would lead to the development of different screening versions of the PCL. Although some psychometric support was achieved (e.g., high sensitivity), use of the Lang and Stein PCL item subsets for screening natural disaster survivors appears unjustified on the basis of the present data.

Evaluating New Urbanist Plans in Post-Katrina Mississippi

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Governor's Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal partnered with the Congress for the New Urbanism to provide teams of planners and designers to work with communities along the coast in preparing rebuilding plans. Following a week-long charrette in October 2005, each coastal community was provided with a rebuilding plan that was intended to be based on the principles of New Urbanism. The initial plans have been followed up with further long-range planning. Two years after Katrina, this paper examines the degree to which New Urbanism has been incorporated into the long-range comprehensive, master and other rebuilding plans developed in the communities along the coast in Harrison County, Mississippi. This study finds that New Urbanist principles were integrated into some community plans, but were largely absent from others. In those that do incorporate the principles, the realities of post-Katrina planning created serious challenges to the feasibility of implementing New Urbanist plans. While the goals of the New Urbanist consultants were to create better communities and regions, these good intentions have primarily failed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In many cases, communities felt dissatisfied with their design-based plans because they were not appropriate for the time and place of post-Katrina Mississippi. The paper concludes by offering suggestions on how communities can improve their plans relative to integrating the principles of New Urbanism that can help rebuild better communities, while balancing community priorities for rebuilding.

Leadership Development—An Essential Piece of Leading Change at Community Colleges

The Mississippi Gulf Coast community College (MGCCC) Leadership Development Program focuses on developing well-prepared community college leaders. This program is designed to give participants key pieces of leadership and show how they are an essential piece of the college. The curriculum is based on American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) competencies—organizational strategy, resource management, communication, collaboration, advocacy, and professionalism.

How a Natural Disaster Changed the Face of the Restaurant Industry in Southern Mississippi: A Katrina Story

This study provides a comparative evaluation of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the restaurant industry in southern Mississippi through an examination of revenues generated in the fiscal years immediately preceding and following the storm. Results suggest that restaurant revenues lost in the areas of the greatest catastrophic damage were redistributed to other areas of the southern Mississippi region and less damaged areas on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Considered in aggregate, the storm slowed the growth rate of the regional restaurant industry but did not result in an aggregate loss.

Hurricane Katrina: A Case Study of its Impacts on Medical Service Providers and Their Client Populations

There is a great deal of literature in the areas of: (1) medical demography; (2) the effect of disasters on first re- sponders; (3) measuring the immediate demographic and social of a disaster; and (4) the short and long term eco- nomic and financial of disasters. However, there is very little if anything about the demographic of large scale disasters on medical providers once rescue operations have been completed and operations move into the relief and recovery/rehabilitation phases associated with a disaster. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by providing as a recov- ery/rehabilitation case study, estimates of the of Hurricane Katrina on the client populations and candidates for a specific medical procedure in the service areas associated with two medical facilities on the Mississippi gulf coast. The es- timates presented here show that Katrina had a substantial demographic impact and that this translated into an adverse im- pact on the client base of both medical facilities. Although the results come from a single case study, the results suggest that the of a disaster can have substantial impacts on medical care providers and their ability to continue that goes well beyond physical damage. That is, these results suggest that the impact of demographic of a disaster on a client base can be more important than physical damage, a fact that does not appears to be widely recognized. The first step in effectively dealing with a disaster is the presence of a plan and it is typical of organizations to have both dis- aster recovery plans and business continuation plans. Given the long term of Katrina on client populations found in this case study, it would be prudent that medical care providers include estimates of demographic impacts on their client populations in these plans, particularly in regard to the long-term effects horizon of a given disaster

My Two Boots … A Walk Through the Wetlands. An Annual Outing for 700 Middle School Students

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure. --John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day Project WetKids (www.projectwetkids.net) provides wetland, environmental, estuary, and watershed experiences with local scientists, engineers, and naturalists to Pascagoula, Mississippi students and their families. Extensive activities provide participants: (1) real world, locally relevant science-based events (2) meaningful scientific experiences and interactions with field scientists, and (3) exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career opportunities in the Gulf Coast region. The Project WetKids program and accompanying research were funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant #0639629) and have been further supported by local and regional partners. Our extensive partnership includes: the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, NOAA Fisheries Laboratory of Pascagoula, Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Northern Gulf Institute, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, John C. Stennis Space Center, and Northrop Grumman Incorporated. In addition to developing and providing these rich watershed experiences, our university-based research team is documenting and analyzing Project WetKids' impact on students' science content knowledge, scientific aspirations, and views of science learning in experimental and quasi-experimental studies (Davis, Cwikla, & Barry, 2008) and more results will be forthcoming (Cwikla & Barry, 2009). The idea and concept for Project WetKids was spawned in part from the success of the annual My Two event in the Pascagoula School District (PSD). This day-long event for 700 Pascagoula and Gautier sixth-graders tackles wetlands and environmental science and is the focus of this article. * Pascagoula, Mississippi: & the Sciences Abound The Gulf Coast of Mississippi provides a spectacular outdoor wetlands laboratory. The town of Pascagoula, Mississippi is surrounded by wetlands, marshes, and swamps, and is bordered on the south by the Gulf of Mexico. Located at the mouth of the Pascagoula River, it is a town whose existence depends on its wetlands. Whether drawing community members into coastal and wetlands leisure activities or sustaining livelihoods in shipbuilding, fishing, or energy production, the river and the Gulf of Mexico define the lives of every person living in this district. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Pascagoula School District's mission is to: Produce globally competitive graduates by inspiring them to reach their maximum potential through rigorous innovative learning experiences in concert with our diverse coastal resources and unified communities (http://psd.schoolwires.com/psd/site/default.asp). One of the District's goals is to prepare students for the statewide Biology I Subject Area Testing Program in the ninth grade. PSD has repeatedly earned performance in the top 10% of all school districts in Mississippi. Science departments have accordingly expanded course offerings to include astronomy, genetics, zoology, marine biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Biology, with an emphasis on student-centered activities and hands-on learning. PSD has documented dramatic increases in student achievement with the designation of two of its secondary schools as National Blue Ribbon High Schools. We attribute part of PSD's success to the exceptional out-of-school activities and non-traditional offerings it provides for its students. One example of the wetlands and environmental focus in PSD is the annual My Two Boots ... A Walk Through the Wetlands event. For the past six years, Ms. Sybil Wilner, a middle school Language Arts teacher, and Mr. …