New marine education center being built in Ocean Springs

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) _ Officials with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and the University of Southern Mississippi have unveiled plans for a new $17 million marine education center.

WLOX-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1Vr1Gzg ) the center will be built on land the university bought in Ocean Springs several years ago. It replaces the old center that Hurricane Katrina destroyed on Point Cadet in Biloxi.

The new center will be on higher ground and out of hurricane velocity zones.

It will not have an aquarium, as the old center did, but officials say it will offer plenty of hands-on activities for visitors.

Land is being cleared, and construction should take about 18 months. Most of the costs are being paid by FEMA.