Some of South Mississippi's tiniest creatures are getting a lot
of help surviving in the wild. Sixth graders at one Pascagoula
school are working on a project to monitor and protect a bayou
that's right in their own backyard. Just a few blocks from Trent
Lott Academy is Grant Bayou, a vital habitat for baby shrimp,
crabs, and fish. "This is the nursery of the world. This is
where our food starts. This is probably the most important
wetlands ecosystem that there is," said Michael Henderson,
Mississippi Power Maintenance Specialist. Twice a year, the
sixth graders at the school walk over to the bayou to track the
health of the fragile watershed. "This is our backyard. I don't
want a dump in my backyard. The only way it's going to be
cleaned up, the only way it's going to be maintained in a good
healthy way, is if we do it," said Henderson. With guidance from
environmental and compliance specialists at Mississippi Power,
the students waded in the water to collect samples. They
measured the water's pH and dissolv