Southern Miss GCRL Director Leads Major Seagrass Restoration Effort on Chandeleur Islands
Wed, 08/20/2025 - 09:41am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
Caitlin Young (right) and undergraduate Rachell Pica (left) sieve through turtle grass core for seed collection. The research collected supports seagrass restoration on the Chandeleur Islands.鈥�
Dr. Kelly Darnell, director of 91短视频在线播放鈥檚 Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) and the Mississippi-Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, is leading a major project to support seagrass restoration on the Chandeleur Islands鈥攁 barrier island chain located east of New Orleans off the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Her research, in collaboration with Ph.D. student Caitlin Young, could help support the future of marine life and advance restoration efforts for the islands.
The Chandeleur Islands are eroding and losing land at an alarming rate. Serving as a natural barrier during major storms, the islands are also home to one of the most diverse seagrass meadows in the northern Gulf. These seagrass beds are inhabited by various types of marine life, including speckled trout, flounder, blue crabs, sea turtles and bottlenose dolphins. The beds are vital for marine survival and improving water quality.
Darnell鈥檚 initiative, called the Chandeleur Islands Restoration Project for Seagrass, is funded by the NOAA RESTORE Science Program. The project is designed to inform large-scale restoration efforts that benefit seagrass ecosystems. Darnell and Young are monitoring the distribution and condition of seagrass beds at nearly 100 locations along the island chain. The data collected will help identify solutions for restoring the island鈥檚 seagrass and resilience to storms. The project is a collaborative effort among universities, federal and state agencies, and research institutes working to better understand the seagrass beds and support their long-term sustainability.
鈥淭his project is a fantastic collaboration between researchers and natural resource managers, across all career stages, who are working together to use best available science to inform restoration planning and long-term management,鈥� said Darnell. 鈥淓ach of us brings a different skillset and expertise to the table, which is enabling us to achieve results much more impactful than if we were working separately.鈥�
For Young, seagrass restoration is more than research鈥攊t鈥檚 a passion. She credits the project, led by Darnell, with providing valuable hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the challenges facing coastal ecosystems. As a doctoral student at Southern Miss, Young hopes her work will contribute not only to her career in coastal ecology but also to efforts to protect the wildlife that inhabit the islands, which are increasingly threatened by habitat loss.
鈥淢onitoring the distribution and condition of these seagrasses over time allows us to assess trends, predict trajectories, inform managers and formulate further research questions about the dynamics of seagrass ecology,鈥� said Young. 鈥淣ot only do I collect and manage this dataset, but I will be using these data in my dissertation to establish baselines and describe variation of seagrass distribution and cover.鈥�
Young鈥檚 work is vital to the project. Her research focuses on environmental regimes, seagrass growth and reproduction, and overall resilience. The knowledge gained will help guide management strategies to address areas of concern and contribute to the overall health of seagrass related to natural processes and stressors.
As one of the 91短视频在线播放 leading research institutions, Southern Miss continues to advance coastal science through projects like this. Darnell and her team are helping to strengthen coastal resilience and ensure long-term seagrass restoration and monitoring along the Gulf Coast. As director of GCRL, she plays a key role in guiding impactful research and supporting a more sustainable Gulf region.