Sand moves in mysterious ways. Predicting its next move is the goal of a Mississippi State research team studying erosion on Deer Island, located just off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Audio Transcription: If you want to have a big impact in the world, you have to start small. At Mississippi State University, we're starting in the Gulf of Mexico where a small but crucial barrier island is quickly fading from view. Millions of state dollars are spent dredging sand to replace the vanishing shores of Deer Island, but we think we can do better. We're applying cutting edge sediment tracers to map the flow of currents and predict the course of sand that's carried out to sea, a process that will help us better understand the drastic transformation taking place. While this is a more cost-effective way to prevent the loss of an island, it's about so much more than saving dollars. It's about taking the first step in a long process to preserve our environment and secure a better, brighter tomorrow. We might be starting small but rest assured, at Mississippi State University, we're dreaming big.