Pass Christian Research Articles

Dying, Decaying, and Dissolving into Irrelevance: First Direct in-the-Field Estimate of Crassostrea virginica Shell Loss—a Case History from Mississippi Sound

A mass mortality event that occurred in the Mississippi Sound in September 2016 provided an opportunity for the first natural field study of the rate of taphonomic loss of oyster shell. At the Pass Christian Reef, limited recruitment in the years following the mortality event resulted in little shell addition over a 2.67-y period, thereby permitting a direct comparison between shell present as living oysters in August 2016 and dead shell collected in April/May 2019. By April 2019, most oyster shell valves were riddled with holes, some of which perforated the valves. Deterioration of the shell surface was ubiquitous, and edge erosion was commonplace. Left valves were preferentially preserved: the left valves comprised 67% of the intact valves and 85% of the minor fragments after 2.67 y. Thus, at the time of collection, minimally 50% of the right valves originally present on the reef had disappeared. The increased differential between left and right valves of the minor fragments suggests a continuing differential in preservation, leading to cultch being overwhelmingly represented by left valves. Based on estimates derived from changes in shell weight at length and estimates of right-valve loss, by April 2019, between 30% and 51% of the carbonate originally added to the reef in 2016 was lost, yielding an estimated oyster shell half-life of between 2.6 and 5.1 y in the Mississippi Sound. The half-lives estimated from this first infield experiment fall precisely within the range of previous less direct estimates from laboratory experiments or survey time series. Oyster shell degrades rapidly: case histories now include a wide latitudinal range and a wide temperature range, which suggests that these rapid shell degradation rates are the norm over most of the range of the eastern oyster. Understanding the impermanence of oyster shell is crucial to the sustainable management of oyster reefs, as the addition of shell to the reef framework must balance rapid shell degradation rates to prevent stock collapse and ultimately the loss of reef structure.

Phylogeography of sand‐burrowing amphipods (Haustoriidae) supports an ancient suture zone in the Gulf of Mexico

AbstractAimTo evaluate the impact of a proposed ancient suture zone in the Gulf of Mexico on the distribution and molecular diversity of dispersal‐limited, sand‐burrowing amphipods of the genera Haustorius and Lepidactylus (Haustoriidae: Amphipoda).LocationGulf of Mexico, USA and Mexico.MethodsPhylogenetic and population genetic analyses were performed using mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and nuclear (18S and 28S) data from 93 amphipod individuals from 16 sites across the Gulf of Mexico. Bayesian and ML phylogenies were constructed for all genes, divergence times were estimated using a molecular clock for COI (0.007–0.013 subs./site per Myr), and four species delimitation methods were used to identify operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within each amphipod species. The mitochondrial COI gene was used to construct haplotype networks and estimate population genetic parameters to evaluate historical changes in effective population sizes.ResultsDeep divergences (most estimated to be >4 Ma) were uncovered between sister clades of both amphipod genera on either side of the Mississippi River as well as within Lepidactylus triarticulatus where each sample site was found to harbour a unique genetic lineage. Two cryptic OTUs of L. triarticulatus were identified living sympatrically at Pass Christian, Mississippi. Two distinct OTUs representing western and eastern Haustorius galvezi clades were identified along the Texas and Mexico coastlines with abutting ranges. Population genetic results show some support for recent population expansions for western Gulf OTUs, while eastern Gulf OTUs may have suffered population bottlenecks in the past.Main conclusionsDivergences between sister species of sand‐burrowing amphipods exceeds the timing of previous vicariant hypotheses. The split appears to be consistent with Miocene sedimentation levels from the Mississippi River acting as an east–west barrier to gene flow in the Gulf of Mexico. Given their strong population structure and cryptic diversity, haustoriid amphipods are ideal model organisms for studying open coast biogeography.

A Reproductive Histological Analysis of Rangia cuneata (Venerida: Mactridae): Effects of Abiotic Factors

Understanding the relative times of gametogenesis and spawning of gametes in bivalves provides crucial insight on how a species may be influenced by environmental factors, in addition to the potential impacts a species of bivalve has on the ecosystem as a whole. The focus of this study was on gametogenesis and times of spawning in Rangia cuneata (G. B. Sowerby I, 1831), an infaunal estuarine bivalve inhabiting Johnson Bayou, Pass Christian, MS, and how salinity gradients may influence spawning. Specimens were collected monthly in 2016 from three sites along an established salinity gradient (0–16 ppt) within Johnson Bayou. Using standard histological methods and a quantitative method to estimate both the abundance of gametes and spawning times, this study showed that over the course of one year the rate of gametogenesis and times of spawning differed among sites. Clams of both sexes in the site closest to the opening of the bayou (lower site) produced gametes and spawned earlier (June) than those collected from the middle and upper sites (October–November). Interestingly, two separate spawning events are likely to have occurred by clams collected from the lower and middle sites. There was a positive correlation between increasing water temperature and mean percent gonadal tissue in all sites with a significant correlation at the middle and upper sites. In contrast, no correlation was found between salinity levels and mean percent gonadal tissue in clams from the lower site, while a weak positive but non-significant correlation was seen with clams from the middle and upper sites. There was a weak negative correlation between salinity levels and mean percentage of ripe gametes from the lower and middle sites, but a weak positive correlation from the upper site. The results indicate that the same species can vary the amount of gametes and spawning times in the same estuarine system, presumably due to the effects of abiotic factors, namely water temperature and salinity.

Two Civil Wars: The Curious Shared Journal of a Baton Rouge Schoolgirl and a Union Sailor on the USS Essex ed. by Katherine Bentley Jeffrey

Reviewed by: Two Civil Wars: The Curious Shared Journal of a Baton Rouge Schoolgirl and a Union Sailor on the USS Essex ed. by Katherine Bentley Jeffrey Charles Wexler Two Civil Wars: The Curious Shared Journal of a Baton Rouge Schoolgirl and a Union Sailor on the USS Essex. Ed. Katherine Bentley Jeffrey. ISBN 978-0-8071-6224-8, 274 pp., cloth, $38.00 In Two Civil Wars: The Curious Shared Journal of a Baton Rouge Schoolgirl and a Union Sailor on the USS Essex, Katherine Bentley Jeffrey explores the journal of William L. Park, a gunner on board the ironclad USS Essex. Here Jeffrey has not only unearthed this contemporary account, the first published diary from this converted steam ferry, but also why Park penned his memoir in a book originating from an antebellum Louisiana Catholic school. The end result is a well-researched edited work that reveals the journal's original owners. Jeffrey has determined that the journal originated as a French composition book from St. Mary's Female Academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded by Ohio-born Matilda Victor in 1855, the school attracted both Catholic and Protestant students, among them the book's original owner, Celeste Repp. Born in 1846, Repp lived with her grandparents before she attended St. Mary's in 1859. Here, she learned from Jesuit Father Darius Hubert, who taught French classes. Jeffrey has analyzed and translated the few French compositions Repp wrote in the book in 1859. Her handwriting analysis suggests that a second student acquired the book before Louisiana's 1861 secession disrupted matters. Hubert joined the 1st Louisiana and spent four years with the Army of Northern Virginia. Victor kept the school open until Union forces occupied Baton Rouge. Then, she shattered any local ties when she openly supported northern soldiers, and the school soon shuttered. Jeffrey argues that while Victor fled northward, her school's teachings lived on through Repp. The young woman joined Sisters of Mercy in 1868, and after taking her vows as Sister Mary Euphresia, she taught black children in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Repp's journal, though, did not remain at St. Mary's. At some point during the 1862 Union occupation, William L. Park, a gunner onboard the ironclad USS Essex, acquired it. Born in Scotland in 1836, Park first joined the Royal Navy during the Crimean War before moving to Canada. He worked as a commercial sailor on the Great Lakes before he arrived in Chicago in September 1861. Then, patriotic fervor swept up Park's friend Andrew Waterman, who convinced him to enlist. On September 25, 1861, the two joined the Western Gunboat Flotilla for a three-year term. While Waterman died at Fort Henry, Park survived and fought on different warships, most notably the Essex. Jeffrey explicitly notes her uncertainty as to whether Park immediately transferred his writings to this journal or did so after his enlistment ended, but she clearly details the differences between this contemporary account and his later, more expansive memoir (236–37). [End Page 323] The Park journal is a straightforward recollection of daily experiences. Park accurately depicted the dangers of naval combat onboard steam powered warships, including boiler explosions, which occurred for example on February 6, 1862, when the Essex helped capture Fort Henry. The released steam scalded many onboard, including Capt. William David Porter, brother of David Dixon Porter. Park participated in most major western naval battles, including Island No. 10, the fight with the Confederate ironclad Arkansas, Port Hudson, and the Red River campaign. Park also highlighted the increasing use of guerilla tactics and torpedo deployments against local Union forces. Jeffrey supplements Park's entries with extensive annotated notes, which while at times distracting provide needed background on key events, ships, and important personnel. The book suffers at times from Jeffrey's ambitious efforts. Her inclusion of both Victor and Hubert makes this a story of four rather than two Civil Wars: a unionist headmaster, an immigrant sailor swept up in patriotic fervor, a Confederate chaplain who served with his charges, and Repp's fragmented life in the Mississippi Valley. Juggling these narratives means she does not fully develop how these four fit within larger...

Laboratory Performance of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Recycled Asphalt Shingles, Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, and Recycling Agents

AbstractAs the price of liquid asphalt continuously climbs, methods are being sought to decrease material costs without compromising material or pavement performance while having a positive influence on sustainability. One potential method is the use of recycled materials, such as recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP). The objective of this study was to characterize the laboratory performance of conventional asphalt mixtures and mixtures containing RAP and/or RAS, with and without recycling agents (RAs). The RAS type utilized in this study was postconsumer waste shingles. Six 12.5-mm asphalt mixtures were designed to meet certain criteria with four of the six mixtures containing no RAs and two mixtures containing RAs [Hydrogreen and soft asphalt binder (Asphalt & Wax Innovations, Pass Christian, Mississippi)]. A suite of laboratory tests was used to ascertain the mechanistic behavior of the mixtures evaluated against major distresses. Laboratory testing evaluated the high-,...

Psychiatrists Who Volunteered After Katrina Look Back on Lessons

Psychiatrists Who Volunteered After Katrina Look Back on Lessons

The Exposed Surface Area to Volume Ratio: Is Shell More Efficient than Limestone in Promoting Oyster Recruitment?

ABSTRACT Planting oyster cultch is a common management approach used to enhance recruitment. The two most popular cultch materials are shell and limestone. Both are sold by volume or weight; however, once deposited on oyster grounds, only a small portion of the total surface area of each particle is available for recruitment. Shell and limestone have different surface area to volume properties, and thus provide differential settlement opportunities. Exposed surface area to volume (expSA/V) ratios of oyster shell and limestone fragments were compared, as an indicator of their recruitment potential and cost-effectiveness for cultch planting. Samples were collected from the Primary Public Oyster Seed Grounds in Louisiana by vibracore, and from the Pass Christian TongingGrounds in Mississippi by dredge. Shell (including whole shell and fragments) and limestone particles greater than or equal to 8 mm by geometric shape were classified and their expSA/V was calculated. Mean expSA/V ratios of shell were approxim...

Beneath a Meth Moon (review)

Reviewed by: Beneath a Meth Moon Karen Coats Woodson, Jacqueline . Beneath a Meth Moon. Paulsen/Penguin, 2012. [192p]. ISBN 978-0-399-25250-1 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10. Laurel, her father, and her little brother are reeling from the deaths of her mother and grandmother, who refused to leave their home in Pass Christian, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina. As they try to start life over in a new town, things look better for Laurel: she meets a sympathetic new friend named Kaylee, becomes a cheerleader, and starts dating T-Boom. Their first night together, though, T-Boom introduces her to meth, and she becomes instantly addicted. Her addiction progresses quickly, and when Kaylee confronts her and her father finds her stash, she runs away and lives on the streets, begging for money and trying desperately to stay high. She meets Moses, who paints murals of kids who have died as a result of meth, and he tries to talk her around to getting help before she becomes another one of his portraits. Woodson's depiction of Laurel's addiction is as accurate as it is heartbreaking; readers will be deeply moved by her memories as she works through her grief, and they'll sympathize with her desire to find some way to feel better. Woodson's use of the term "moon" for the drug is uncommon if not her own invention, but it effectively conveys the experience Laurel has when under the influence; she feels luminous and happy despite her persistent grief. Those with no prior knowledge about meth addiction, however, will need more context than Woodson gives to understand the rapidity of Laurel's descent. Moses is a somewhat [End Page 379] clichéd hero as he becomes the gay black savior of this distressed white cheerleader, and her angelic little brother Jesse seems designed to pull on the heartstrings as he begs his sister not to die. The overt sentimentality of these two characters dims what could otherwise be a powerful portrait of an utterly misguided response to grief, but readers looking to understand the attraction of a destructive substance will get a glimmer of understanding through Laurel. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera: The Northern Rim of the Gulf Coast since World War II

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck RivieraThe Northern Rim of the Gulf Coast since World War II Harvey H. Jackson III (bio) "I'm just here for the beer." —Kenny Stabler Click for larger view View full resolution The Redneck Riviera, as Howell Raines coined it in 1978, began just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama, and continued east to the Flora-Bama, a bar where the "Interstate Mullet Toss" would become an institution. Spectators at the Interstate Mullet Toss thirty-one years later, photographed by the author. [End Page 7] It was in 1978 that "Redneck Riviera" first appeared in print. Probably. And in the New York Times no less. That was when Times reporter Howell Raines published a piece that told of how former University of Alabama and then pro-football quarterbacks Richard Todd and Kenny Stabler spent the off-season on a "stretch of beach that some Alabama wags call the redneck Riviera." Raines, a Birmingham boy who one day would become executive editor of the Times and a popular author in the bargain, could turn a phrase with the best of them, and there are those who think he coined it.1 The "stretch of beach" to which Raines was referring, the stretch he defined as the Redneck Riviera, began just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama, and continued east to the Flora-Bama, a bar that still sits mostly in Florida to take advantage of more liberal liquor laws, but where enough hangs over into Alabama that the slogan "Doing it at the line" was and still is taken as a challenge by many. One finds Gulf Coast Riviera references as early as 1941, when the wpa publication Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South described the area as a collection of "little fishing villages that remind the visitor of the southern coast of France." However, there is nothing to suggest that Raines or any of the other "wags," much less Stabler and Todd, saw any similarity between the Alabama coast and the Côte d'Azur, because by 1978 there wasn't any. Raines's Redneck Riviera was a scattering of vacation cottages, honkytonks, picturesque if seedy motels, shacks on pilings, and cafés that served smoked mullet, presided over by sunburned, bearded, beer-soaked refugees from civilization, driving rusted-out pickup trucks. It was where people could say, as Stabler did when a reporter asked if all the stories about him were true, "I live the way I want to live, and I don't give a damn if anybody likes it or not. I run hard as hell and don't sleep. I'm just here for the beer."2 And yet, without knowing it, Raines was giving his readers one of the last glimpses of a way of life whose days, or at least years, were numbered. But that is getting ahead of the story. Although Raines was writing about specific people at a specific place in a specific time, truth be told there were many "redneck Rivieras." And they shared a common history. In 1941, all along the northern rim of the Gulf Coast, from Pass Christian, Mississippi, to Panama City, Florida, there were a score or more of little villages that survived on fishing and a trickle of tourists from not too far away, vacationers who came down to spend a week or so in the few "mom and pop" motor courts. They'd swim a little, fish a little, eat raw oysters, buy something tacky at a local shop, and some, freed from hometown social restraints, would visit local night clubs, dance and drink and get rowdy. After the war their numbers increased. Driving down on military-improved roads, they came mainly from Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, and brought with them the culture of the rising southern white middle class. Children of the Great Depression, they were hard-working and frugal, but wartime experience [End Page 8] had taught them that life was short and to be enjoyed. Raising their Baby Boomers, they coordinated trips with the children's vacations, and beach-folks expanded accommodations accordingly. Efficiencies and cottages were especially popular, for restaurants were few and, to...

Community Newspaper Emerged to Serve Needs of Pass Christian Citizens

Four months after Hurricane Katrina's storm surge had receded, communication vacuum existed in the quaint, formerly 6,500 citizens-strong, Mississippi Gulf Coast community of Pass Christian.1 Ultimately, what the Readers Digest called New Town Crier, The Gazebo Gazette-a weekly publication created by volunteers in Pass Christian-would help fill the information void.2 And two-and-a-half years after its first issue, the Gazabo Gazette had become the of record for Pass Christian and a Godsend for the people live here now and also those who moved away after the storm and want to keep in touch.3 Its transformation from newsletter to standard tabloid-size newspaper occurred in less than five months. And, even in an age of media, after the nation's greatest natural disaster, in its most basic form, the newspaper, served the citizens in ways that no other medium could.Immediately after Katrina, the two principal regional outlets on the Gulf Coast, the Sun Herald newspaper and WLOX-TV-located across the street from one another in Biloxi-did remarkable job. In fact, the Sun Herald earned public service Pulitzer Prize and WLOX-TV an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, each for their Katrina coverage.4 However, as time passed, the rebuilding of the coast was far too formidable task for regional outlets to serve the day-to-day needs of individuals in small cities on the coast. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula and other communities received attention by the Sun Herald and WLOX-TV in proportion to their populations, while to the extreme west, Waveland and Bay St. Louis were served by the Seacoast Echo, firmly established community/weekly newspaper for southern Hancock County. The Pass-as the locals commonly refer to the city-had no equivalent publication serving its residents.So, how would information be passed along to the citizens in order for this small city to survive? The Gazebo Gazette became the answer. This study will chronicle the creation and evolution of the Gazebo Gazette during its first year and explore the newspaper's role in helping Pass Christian in recovering, rebuilding and renewal after Hurricane Katrina.Literature ReviewWhen one refers to weekly newspapers, it often brings to mind publications with very little editorial content and large number of advertisements. However, weekly newspapers are often held in high esteem for their quality editorial content, and on occasion, they have been the subject of scholarly inquiry.In Mississippi, alone, the Deer Creek Pilot, Carthaginian, Enterprise-Tocsin and Neshoba Democrat provide readers with first-rate local and examples of enterprising journalism that still goes on in the hinterlands even in the poorest state in the nation. 5 Whether it is the Pilot taking on crooked judge, the Carthaginian reporters covering disaster while also helping citizens along the way, the Enterprise-Tocsin providing balanced coverage about racial inequity issues against the wishes of powerful white leaders, or the Democrat trying to right an injustice, these are four outstanding weekly newspapers.6The weekly newspaper business-despite all of the new technologies and declining readership in daily newspapers-remains strong vibrant industry. 7 Between 1987 and 2003, 64 percent of the 305 daily newspapers that ceased to publish actually continued operation as weeklies, merged dailies or zoned editions.8 The latest statistics indicate there are 6,659 weekly newspapers in the U.S.-with about two-thirds of them paid and the rest either free or combination of free and paid.9 And if the feeling is that weekly newspapers are not keeping up with the technology of the times, the data suggest otherwise. A recent study indicated that 92.8 percent of the weeklies publish an online newspaper.10Despite the prevalence of weekly newspapers and the fact that weekly newspapers continue to be in growth cycle and are keeping up with technology challenges, media scholars have tended to ignore them. …

Katrina, One Year Later: Three Perspectives

This collection of three photographic essays documenting the 2006 Mississippi Gulf Coast offers multiple perspectives on Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. Bruce West, Todd Bertolaet, and David Wharton traveled to Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Biloxi, Waveland, and points in between uncovering the new post-Hurricane Katrina environment.

Mitigating Hurricane storm surge perils at the DeLisle Plant

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused significant damage to many refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial and harbor facilities along the Gulf Coast causing catastrophic levels of damage. DuPont's DeLisle Plant in Pass Christian, MS, was one of many facilities impacted by this event. DuPont has in place significant operational measures to respond to hurricane events, and post-Katrina has taken measures to mitigate the effects of possible future recurrences through the construction of a higher storm levee. DuPont DeLisle Plant's fast track project to provide a significantly greater level of storm surge protection as well as analyses undertaken to define the extent of the storm surge hazard and design the physical levee improvements are described. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 2008

Evaluation of Three Chemical Protective Clothing Materials for Selected Performance Properties

Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate selected properties of three different chemical protective clothing materials that are being considered for use by Dupont's DeLisle Site in Pass Christian, Mississippi for titanium chloride and related chemical service. Two of the materials represented new product offerings based on unique PTFE/fabric (HSF) laminates, while the third was a PVC/Nomex material currently used in chemical protective clothing at the Dupont DeLisle Site. The two PTFE/fabric laminates were further distinguished by the film thickness and type of surface finish. A number of tests were performed to measure permeation resistance against specific chemicals of interest: physical property testing to assess material strength and specialized tests to determine how the materials hold up to different environmental challenges (high temperature, cold temperature, and flame exposure). The study demonstrated how a series of test methods established by Committee F23 can be used to evaluate the material choices effectively for a specific set of chemical and physical exposure conditions.

Strepsiptera from the Mississippi Coast

Triozocera mexicana Pierce, Caenocholax fenyesi Pierce, and Elenchus koebeli (Pierce), all new records for Mississippi, were the Strepsiptera collected in a light trap study. Around forty light traps were operated in 1966, for a period of 2-6 months during the season of activity, in various locations in southern Mississippi. Strepsiptera were extremely rare, with very small numbers of males being found in only 20 of the traps. Three species, all of which represent new state records, were encountered. Their distribution is given in Table 1. Triozocera mexicana Pierce: 196 specimens were collected between mid-April and mid-September. Most of the material, however, was collected in the last week of April, the first week of May, the second half of July, and the third week of August. Caenocholax fenyesi Pierce: Nine specimens were collected, two of them from Louisiana at the Junction of Hwy. 90 and 190. Elenchus koebeli (Pierce) : Seven specimens were collected, one of them from Avery Marsh, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. TABLE 1.-STREPSIPTERA MALES COLLECTED IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. Locations T. mexicana C. fenyesi E. koebeli Hancock County: Ansley 1 Edwards Bayou 3 Gainesville (Stone House) 27 Gainesville (T-360) 49 Kiln 32 NASA Info. 1 Pearlington 4 4 2 Waveland 1 W. Cowan Bayou 1 Harrison County: Biloxi 1 Gulfport 1 Long Beach 1 1 Pass Christian 1 Saucier 35 Jackson County: Ocean Springs 1 Pascagoula 1 Vancleave 1 Pearl River Cy.: McNeil 2 Nicholson 2 Poplarville 36 1 1 This investigation was supported by an Academic Grant from Loyola University. The Florida Entomologist 52(1) 1969 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.148 on Sun, 11 Sep 2016 04:09:36 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Notes on Fish Collected at Pass Christian, Mississippi

Notes on Fish Collected at Pass Christian, Mississippi

Back Street, Pass Christian

Back Street, Pass Christian