Planning, Preparing for, and Participating in a Major Partner Workshop

The Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) team with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science attended a team meeting at the Wicker Center in Gulfport, Mississippi. CSS employee owners supporting this team (as part of our joint venture with RPI) participated in the meeting January 26-29. The objective of this workshop was for project managers, advisors, and partners to discuss 2025 accomplishments and plan next steps for 2026 and beyond. The MDBC team represented four projects at this meeting: Active Management and Protection, Coral Propagation Technique Development, Habitat Assessment and Evaluation, and Mapping, Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling. Each project within the portfolio had one day dedicated to updates and discussion for that team. 

Prior to the meeting, each project team held a virtual seminar where multiple CSS staff were able to present scientific results to their teams. A select group of individuals in leadership roles—including CSS employee owners—attended the in-person meeting in Gulfport.

On the day dedicated to Coral Propagation Technique Development, CSS staff played a key role in putting together the agenda, facilitating the day, and giving two presentations on fieldwork and lab accomplishments. On the second day, which focused on Habitat Assessment and Evaluation, CSS staff gave a talk on publications, presented on data management, and led a synthesis product discussion for the Habitat Assessment and Evaluation team. On the day focused on Mapping, Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling, CSS staff gave talks on publications and data management, and a presentation on coral and substrate models. 

Additionally, CSS staff participated in planning the entire event contributing to the success of workshop. 

Learn more about this cross-agency effort.