BILOXI, Miss. -- The Mississippi Sound Estuary Program, or MSEP, has released its 2025-2030 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for public review and comment.

The inaugural plan, or CCMP, outlines regional priorities for conservation, restoration, resilience and stewardship, and MSEP encourages Mississippi residents to help shape its future.

MSEP is housed at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center within the MSU Coastal and Marine Extension Program.

The CCMP is the culmination of a collaborative effort led by the MSEP Management Conference -- an advisory group of scientists, engagement specialists and civic leaders -- alongside program staff, local partners and input from the public. The plan outlines strategic actions designed to protect and restore the ecological health and resilience of the Mississippi Sound and its surrounding watersheds.

“Our management conference along with program staff have worked hard to create actions and objectives that address key challenges within the watershed,” said Carley Zapfe, MSEP community engagement coordinator. “We hope this document will foster collaborative and cohesive conservation for the next five years of our unique environmental resources within the estuary.”

Updated every five years, the CCMP is designed to be a living document -- adapting to evolving environmental challenges and community priorities. Key areas of focus include providing reliable information, community resilience, water quality, fish and wildlife protection, ecosystem health and community engagement.

Following the public comment period, the plan will be submitted to the State of Mississippi and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the next step toward National Program certification.

The CCMP is available for review and public comment through August 16. To read the plan, submit comments or take the action prioritization survey, visit https://msucoastal.com/ccmp/.

The Mississippi Sound Estuary Program is a non-regulatory program working closely with local organizations and community leaders to spearhead efforts to increase awareness and participation in the conservation and restoration of the Mississippi Sound and its contributing watershed. By engaging with a wide range of community partners, including residents, businesses and visitors, MSEP will play a vital role in shaping the future of the Mississippi Sound and ensuring that it remains a vibrant and thriving ecosystem for generations to come.

MSEP was paid for in part with federal funding from the RESTORE Council and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012, also known as the RESTORE Act.