Number 70 | April 2025

Gunter Library News

"Gunter Library News" is the monthly e-newsletter highlighting current events and happenings at the Gunter Library at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi.

Gunter Library - GCRL Website

Resource of the Month

Message from the Chief Information Officer Regarding Artificial Intelligence:

The world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving, especially in the education space. A new Artificial Intelligence website has been created for all members of the Southern Miss community to use as a reference. Please note the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Guidelines as a trusted framework for the ethical, secure and responsible use of AI at Southern Miss.

As AI continues to grow and evolve, we welcome insights from all students, faculty, and staff members. Comments on the website and guidelines may be shared at the upcoming panel session, Balancing Innovation and Regulation: AI Policies and Guidelines at USM or via email to CIOAdmin@usm.edu.

Submit Your Book Recommendations

All faculty, students, and staff--now is the time to submit your recommendations for books to be purchased to support your teaching, research, and learning. Please include as much information as possible--author, title, date, publisher, etc. and indicate your preference for print or e-books. Please note there are some publisher restrictions with e-books including the number of pages you can download (usually 60 pages or less). If this will impede your use of the book, then be sure to indicate you are requesting print. We need your recommendations asap. Print books ordered for COA are housed at Gunter Library at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Please email to: guntergcrl@usm.edu

So Many Awards!

Congratulations to our staff and faculty who received recognition for their outstanding contributions to the success of GCRL and USM. We work better because we work together!

Barry Smith --University Staff Excellence Award for Service Maintenance, Skilled Craft, and Technical Services

Dr. Kim de Mutsert--Butch Oustalet Distinguished Professorship Excellence in Research Award

Millie Medina--Gulf Coast Outstanding Staff Award

Ruby Drieling -- Jessie H. Morrison Staff Excellence Award

Graduate Student Appreciation Week

On April 11, the Gunter Library in partnership with the Division of Coastal Sciences (COA), sponsored and hosted the Graduate Student Appreciation Day ice cream social on the porch of the Field Studies Building. COA provided many kinds of ice cream bars and Gunter Library provided cookies and iced tea.

New Arrivals

Natural Magic intertwines the stories of two luminary nineteenth-century minds, Emily Dickinson and Charles Darwin.

A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World

This collection of more than thirty short stories spans the life experience of a lighthouse keeper in the Arctic Circle.

Nature's Best Hope encourages homeowners to turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats.

Welcome New Hires!

Lacey Puzz - Assistant Procurement Coord - GCRL Procurement

Kyle Watson - Deckhand - RV Tommy Munro

Mardi Gras Beads

💜💛💚Our 4th Annual Beads for Special Needs has officially ended and what a success it was for 2025! Just over 1 ton of beads (estimated at nearly 2500 lbs. of throws were distributed to local high school special education programs in Long Beach and St. Martin because of this service project, which falls under the Civitan International Impact Area of Education and Employment of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities!

🩵🛎️Club members worked with partner agencies and businesses to secure drop-off sites prior to the start date of February 20. Because Mardi Gras day fell on March 4, the Club expanded its collection through March 20, which also included beads from St. Paddy’s parades. This was the most beads collected from the community since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

👏🏻Thanks to our partner sites for your participation:

💜💛💚A Latte Friends

💜💛💚St. Martin Public Library

💜💛💚Jerry Lawrence Memorial Library

💜💛💚Gunter Library - USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

💜💛💚Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum

💜💛💚Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus Library

Mississippi Academy of Science

GCRL Well Represented at MAS

At the recent, March 20-21, 2025, annual meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS) in Biloxi, the following GCRL affiliated people served on a panel and gave oral and poster presentations.

Ahmed, Raihan Uddin & Md. Manunur Rashid. “Flood analysis using satellite images in a heavily clouded region.”

Blackmon, Laura, Sarah Bubte Faruque, & Virginia Fleer. “Shaping future scientists: a review of hands-on experiences in GCRL’s Summer Field Program.”

Le, Megan & Sarah Lalk. “Women geoscientists in the movies.”

Rahman, Md. Shahinur. “Evaluating nature-based solutions with flood risk modelling to help improve green urban development in an under-resourced coastal community.”

Shaw, Joyce M. & Brennan Collins. “Dr. Jay Grimes: a life in marine sciences.”

Upcoming Events

More Upcoming Events

University Meeting with Executive Team (Dr. Paul & Dr.Nail) at Hardy Hall ballroom Gulf Park campus Thursday, April 24, 2025 11:00 AM-12:00 PM

COA seminar Dr. Amy Yarnall (Army Corps of Engineers)m Caylor Auditorium Friday, April 25, 2025 9:30 AM-10:30 AM

Gulf Alliance All Hands Meeting Biloxi May 5-8.

Schedule

Save the Date

Monday, April 28th - 6 pm to 7 pm

Conference Room A, Research Building

(Building 8)

GCRL – Cedar Point Campus

300 Laurel Oak Drive

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Sponsored by Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium

Shifting The Food Paradigm

Reginald B. Blaylock, Ph.D.

Director

USM Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center

Marine finfish are a relatively cheap, efficient, and sustainable source of healthy protein, and global demand continues to grow along with the world’s human population. However, the current yield from wild fisheries is virtually the same today as it was in the mid-1980’s, while the world’s population is expected to double between 1987 and 2050. We have reached the limits of what wild fisheries can produce. Aquaculture fills the gap between the growing demand for fisheries products and the limits of wild fisheries and is now the fastest growing segment of food production. Though the U.S. ranks 1st in world agriculture production, we rank only 18th in world aquaculture production and must meet our growing domestic seafood demand by importing over 80% of the seafood consumed. To reduce our dependence on imports and reap the economic benefits of meeting the growing global demand through exports, a healthy domestic marine aquaculture industry is needed. This industry would build a more resilient blue economy that fortifies food production and distribution systems to meet demand, improve the health of the population, create a skilled workforce, and help reduce poverty and food insecurity.