Coastal resource center ceremony slated

A grand opening ceremony will be held Monday in Jackson County, Miss., for the new $9 million, 20,000-square-foot Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center. It serves as headquarters for the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in the Pecan community of southeast Jackson County. The building includes a public interpretative area, office space, laboratories, classrooms and a dormitory and will be shared by the reserve and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The dedication coincides with the 10th anniversary of the reserve, which includes more than 18,000 acres of estuarine and upland habitat for purposes of scientific research and observation, education and stewardship. (Source: Mississippi Press, 12/05/09)