OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - A $77,000 grant will fund construction of an aquaculture greenhouse on the grounds of Ocean Springs High School.
“We will have saltwater tanks where kids will be able to study the life-cycle of different marine life, from breeding on,” superintendent Bonita Coleman-Potter told The Mississippi Press (https://bit.ly/1iFb15S).
“With marine aquatics being such an integral part of the Mississippi Coast, we’re excited about that.”
Classes are expected to begin in the fall. The greenhouse will be constructed on the southeast end of the school property.
The grant came from the Mississippi Department of Education.
Potter said Ocean Springs will be the first school to offer marine aquatics as part of its marine biology department. OSHS teacher Bryan Butler is working with faculty from Mississippi State University to write the curriculum for the state, she said.
Officials said construction is expected to begin in about two weeks after the utilities are in place.
Director of Operations Brooks McKay said although the structure will likely be pre-fabricated, McKay said construction will be sent out for bids. Depending on the weather, McKay expects construction to be complete by early May. The grant calls for all expenditures on the project to be completed by the end of May.
“We don’t have the manpower to do something like that in the middle of the school year,” McKay said of having the work done in-house.
Once the greenhouse is complete, teachers and some students will assist in setting up the tanks, preparing the water to accept fish and other marine life in advance of the new school year in August.
___
Information from: The Mississippi Press, https://www.gulflive.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.