Page 51 - Play Coastal Mississippi - Fall26 - Winter27

The fourth Gulf Blue Navigator cohort focused on Living Shorelines
and Coastal Resilience and welcomed six innovative companies
working to address Coastal and environmental challenges. “In
addition, our alumni portfolio continues to grow as companies
establish operations, secure funding, and expand their presence
in Mississippi. Since the program’s inception, 24 companies have
completed the accelerator, with 17 now operating or maintaining a
presence in Mississippi,” she added.
Guess sees more interest in the Blue Economy as it continues to grow
across all audiences. “Students are increasingly interested in careers
that combine technology, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and ocean
science. Public interest has also expanded as people learn more
about how the Blue Economy impacts national security, workforce
development, sustainable seafood, Coastal resilience, and economic
growth,” she said.
“Gulf Blue Navigator continues to demonstrate that Mississippi is
uniquely positioned to support innovation in aquaculture, maritime
technology, autonomous systems, ocean data, defense applications,
and sustainable food systems. As our companies continue to
grow and new partnerships emerge, we are seeing the impact of
building a strong innovation ecosystem that connects research,
entrepreneurship, industry, and workforce development. The
momentum is real, and we believe the best is yet to come.”
“The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Ocean Science
and Engineering’s marine research enterprises are distributed across
the Coast and operate from three primary locations, each with a
somewhat distinct mission,” says Robert Leaf, PhD and Director.
The school was formally established in 2018 through an academic
reorganization that united several existing marine-focused
departments, but the roots of these entities run far deeper. “It has
grown rapidly with interest in the blue economy.
“Our ocean engineering program continues to show exceptional
growth, driven by strong demand for highly skilled engineers capable
of working on unmanned maritime systems, autonomous underwater
vehicles, and autonomous surface vehicles—a major component
of the program,” Leaf said. “Our ocean engineering students also
contribute to the shipbuilding workforce in Jackson County, and
there is clear national demand for their skills, but locally the emphasis
on blue-economy growth has had a direct, positive impact on this
segment of our undergraduates.”
They’ve seen similar interest in the undergraduate marine biology
program. “These are skilled marine biologists who can support
sustainability across tourism, recreation, and hospitality in our three
Coastal counties,” he said. “Many students come from Mississippi, but
we increasingly draw students nationally as well, and Mississippi has
shown itself to be a leader in Gulf resource management.
“Hydrography, or ocean mapping, is another high-demand field. Our
graduates enjoy 100 percent employment upon graduation. There is a
demand for hydrographers regionally, nationally, and internationally,
and our students go on to map the ocean in support of oil and gas,
maritime safety, and military applications.”
> On-water Gulf Blue Navigator
demonstration showcasing
their Skelmir S6 autonomous
underwater vehicle
> USM Gulf Coast Research
Lab’s Marine Education Center
Resilience in Action workshop
COASTALMISSISSIPPI.COM OCT 26-MAR 27 I PLAY COASTAL MISSISSIPPI 51