Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
Who We Are
Located in Ocean Springs, Miss., The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) is one of the largest marine laboratories in the southeastern United States. With a workforce of approximately 200 faculty, researchers, graduate students and support staff, GCRL conducts applied research and higher education in a diverse array of facilities on its 50-acre Halstead and 224-acre Cedar Point sites.
Established by the Mississippi Legislature in 1948 and 1950, the GCRL is the State’s designated marine laboratory. In this role, GCRL provides scientific support to the State and the broader Gulf of Mexico region through the study of sustainable fisheries, marine aquaculture, coastal ecology and restoration, and aquatic health and conservation. Academic programming at GCRL centers around those broad research areas and includes graduate studies, the undergraduate Summer Field Program, and numerous citizen science and K-12 offerings, such as Sea Camp.
GCRL is home to four University research and academic units:
- School of Ocean Science and Engineering's Division of Coastal Sciences (COA)
- Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD)
- Marine Education Center (MEC)
- Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC)
Coastal Sciences Graduate Fellowship in Support of Diversity
