Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
University of Southern Mississippi
703 East Beach Dr.
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Fax: (228) 872-4279
Jessica Kastler Research Associate Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
COSEE Role:
Co-PI
Primary COSEE Affiliation:Gulf of Mexico
Other affiliations:
- Scientist Engagement Working Group
Interaction with COSEE Network:
Jessie Kastler has been a Research Associate at the Marine Education Center (MEC) of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at The University of Southern Mississippi since October 2007. In this position, she educates student and teacher groups for the MEC, and implements educational programs for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, the Central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observation System, and the Central Gulf of Mexico Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE:CGOM). She continues to administer the Louisiana programs of the COSEE:CGOM, as she has done since the program began while she was Marine Education Instructor at Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). In addition to helping diverse audiences improve their understanding of diverse marine science topics, Jessie has created and implemented a variety of programs with colleagues and external funding, including Bayouside Classroom, LUMCON’s water sampling program for middle and high school students; Students and Teachers as Educational Partners in Science, a professional development program for teachers; and Recognizing Runoff Through the Watershed, a website for non-point source pollution in the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Watershed (http://www.lumcon.edu/education/Resources/Runoff/). In addition to several other service and volunteer positions, Jessie is the Past-Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observation System. She came to marine education from research training in coastal sedimentary ecology, with a Ph.D. in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University, an M.S. in Environmental Science from University of Virginia and a B.S. in Geology from Louisiana State University.
