...It’s been part of the local economy for more than two years now, yet most
residents are likely to know little about it. But the Northern Gulf Institute
reaffirms the key role science and technology plays in South Mississippi’s
future.
...NGI’s researchers have been awarded close to $11 million in two years.
...“It’s become a real good model,” said NGI co-director E. Glade Woods
about the organization that brings together multiple universities for research
that focuses on the big picture. “We’ve had other cooperative institutions visit
us and ask about lessons learned.”
...No one can accuse NGI of thinking small. It conducts research on the entire
ecosystem of the Northern Gulf of Mexico region, which it defines as the
upland, watershed, coastal zone, and coastal ocean areas from the Sabine
River in Louisiana east to the Suwannee River in Florida.
...Research focuses on ecosystem-based management, geospatial
data/information and visualization in environmental science, climate change
and climate variability effects on regional ecosystems, and coastal hazards and
resiliency.
...NGI’s holistic approach emphasizes research that is not only collaborative,
but which can be demonstrated to have an impact on the lives of people. It
avoids research for research’s sake. That point is made clear to the
researchers.
...“You’ve got to tell us what this is going to mean to the public,” said Woods
about the projects researchers associated with the NGI propose. They are
told, “You may be pitching research, but you better find a catcher.”
The institute
...NGI was established in October 2006 as the newest cooperative institute of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s one of the 21
institutes in 17 states that receive support from NOAA. NGI members, in
addition to MSU and NOAA, are the University of Southern Mississippi,
Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Dauphin Island Sea
Lab.
...The fundamental philosophy of NGI is integration: integration of upland,
waterway, coastal and coastal ocean processes; integration of scientific and
technical disciplines and institutions; integration of physical, biological, and
social sciences data; and harvesting value from integrating NOAA and NGI
strengths and resources.
...The reason for NGI is straight forward. The riverine-dominated Northern
Gulf ecosystems are under pressure from increasing population and coastal
development, impacts from severe storms and climate variability, inland
watershed and coastal wetlands degradation, as well as other factors.
...NGI develops, operates, and maintains an increasingly integrated research
and transition program focused on filling priority gaps and reducing limitations
in current Northern Gulf of Mexico awareness, understanding and decision
support.
...NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office has encouraged NGI to
get more engaged with other federal agencies, such as NASA, the
Environmental Protection Agency, Naval Research Laboratory and others. It’s
all in keeping with the integration mindset, said Woods.
...NGI ensures it will not evolve into a “virtual” organization by holding a
minimum of two meetings a year. In October the group will hold a meeting in
Baton Rouge at the home of Louisiana State University, and then in May
2009, the group will meet in Mobile, where Dauphin Island Sea Lab is based.
This past May the NGI had a meeting in Biloxi, and before that, in December,
it met in Tallahassee, home of member Florida State University.
...And at some point, it’s likely NGI will hold a meeting at Stennis Space
Center at a brand new facility.
New digs
...NGI is currently housed in Building 1103 at the John C. Stennis Space
Center, but quarters are cramped and NGI is working to get some additional
space in Building 1100. But for the long term plans are more ambitious. NGI
needs a conference room and more space, including some room for teaching
and for laboratories.
...The answer: a $9 million, 35,000 square-foot building at Stennis. Dubbed
the NGI Science Center, it will have about 30 people when they move in,
perhaps by the fall of 2009. But the building will have a capacity for up to 75
– and room to expand if needed.
...The science center will be located along Balch, just south of the University
of Southern Mississippi marine science building, north of the Naval Research
Lab and across from the NASA administration building.
...Current plans call for erection of a building that will look a good deal like
MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) extension center in
Canton, not far from the Nissan plant. But Woods said he wants to maintain
as many trees as possible. Like the state-of-the-art building in Canton, the
facility at Stennis will have advanced technological amenities such as a room
with teleconferencing capabilities. - David Tortorano, Tcp
October 2008
residents are likely to know little about it. But the Northern Gulf Institute
reaffirms the key role science and technology plays in South Mississippi’s
future.
...NGI’s researchers have been awarded close to $11 million in two years.
...“It’s become a real good model,” said NGI co-director E. Glade Woods
about the organization that brings together multiple universities for research
that focuses on the big picture. “We’ve had other cooperative institutions visit
us and ask about lessons learned.”
...No one can accuse NGI of thinking small. It conducts research on the entire
ecosystem of the Northern Gulf of Mexico region, which it defines as the
upland, watershed, coastal zone, and coastal ocean areas from the Sabine
River in Louisiana east to the Suwannee River in Florida.
...Research focuses on ecosystem-based management, geospatial
data/information and visualization in environmental science, climate change
and climate variability effects on regional ecosystems, and coastal hazards and
resiliency.
...NGI’s holistic approach emphasizes research that is not only collaborative,
but which can be demonstrated to have an impact on the lives of people. It
avoids research for research’s sake. That point is made clear to the
researchers.
...“You’ve got to tell us what this is going to mean to the public,” said Woods
about the projects researchers associated with the NGI propose. They are
told, “You may be pitching research, but you better find a catcher.”
The institute
...NGI was established in October 2006 as the newest cooperative institute of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s one of the 21
institutes in 17 states that receive support from NOAA. NGI members, in
addition to MSU and NOAA, are the University of Southern Mississippi,
Louisiana State University, Florida State University and Dauphin Island Sea
Lab.
...The fundamental philosophy of NGI is integration: integration of upland,
waterway, coastal and coastal ocean processes; integration of scientific and
technical disciplines and institutions; integration of physical, biological, and
social sciences data; and harvesting value from integrating NOAA and NGI
strengths and resources.
...The reason for NGI is straight forward. The riverine-dominated Northern
Gulf ecosystems are under pressure from increasing population and coastal
development, impacts from severe storms and climate variability, inland
watershed and coastal wetlands degradation, as well as other factors.
...NGI develops, operates, and maintains an increasingly integrated research
and transition program focused on filling priority gaps and reducing limitations
in current Northern Gulf of Mexico awareness, understanding and decision
support.
...NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office has encouraged NGI to
get more engaged with other federal agencies, such as NASA, the
Environmental Protection Agency, Naval Research Laboratory and others. It’s
all in keeping with the integration mindset, said Woods.
...NGI ensures it will not evolve into a “virtual” organization by holding a
minimum of two meetings a year. In October the group will hold a meeting in
Baton Rouge at the home of Louisiana State University, and then in May
2009, the group will meet in Mobile, where Dauphin Island Sea Lab is based.
This past May the NGI had a meeting in Biloxi, and before that, in December,
it met in Tallahassee, home of member Florida State University.
...And at some point, it’s likely NGI will hold a meeting at Stennis Space
Center at a brand new facility.
New digs
...NGI is currently housed in Building 1103 at the John C. Stennis Space
Center, but quarters are cramped and NGI is working to get some additional
space in Building 1100. But for the long term plans are more ambitious. NGI
needs a conference room and more space, including some room for teaching
and for laboratories.
...The answer: a $9 million, 35,000 square-foot building at Stennis. Dubbed
the NGI Science Center, it will have about 30 people when they move in,
perhaps by the fall of 2009. But the building will have a capacity for up to 75
– and room to expand if needed.
...The science center will be located along Balch, just south of the University
of Southern Mississippi marine science building, north of the Naval Research
Lab and across from the NASA administration building.
...Current plans call for erection of a building that will look a good deal like
MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) extension center in
Canton, not far from the Nissan plant. But Woods said he wants to maintain
as many trees as possible. Like the state-of-the-art building in Canton, the
facility at Stennis will have advanced technological amenities such as a room
with teleconferencing capabilities. - David Tortorano, Tcp
October 2008
Focusing on the big picture
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