In this episode of Brown Water Banter, Jared Seymour and Joey Cates sit down with Chelsea Prince and RoxAnn Wicker from the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area to pull back the curtain on one of the most overlooked—but impactful—programs on the Coast 🌊

What starts as a conversation about heritage quickly turns into a deep dive on Gulf Coast history, culture, music, architecture, food, nature-based tourism, and the people quietly preserving it all for future generations.

Chelsea and RoxAnn break down what the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area actually does inside the Department of Marine Resources, how Mississippi ended up with THREE National Heritage Areas, and why our stretch of coastline has played a nationally significant role in American history.

Along the way, they share stories about: 🏛️ Preserving Gulf Coast culture and history across all six coastal counties 📖 The Embrace magazine and how it documents untold Coast stories 🎸 Elvis Presley’s time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (including rarely known local connections) 🗺️ Heritage sites, passports, and self-guided cultural tours 🚣 Nature-based tourism, Blueways, and the Outpost Program 💰 2026 Heritage Community Grants ranging from $5,000–$75,000 🧠 How locals can contribute stories, photos, and ideas—no writing experience required

This episode is a reminder that Mississippi’s story is bigger, deeper, and more interesting than most people realize—and it’s happening right in our backyard.

If you care about the Coast, its people, and the history that shaped it, this one’s a must-listen.

🎧 Follow the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area online to stay up to date 📍 Visit heritage sites, grab an Embrace magazine, and explore the Coast with new eyes 📬 Got a story to tell? They want to hear it

Brown Water Banter is all about celebrating the Gulf Coast—and this episode is Coast pride, start to finish.

Watch the full episode here ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/live/vPk9fGTz7-o?si=bYW1vWQc_n5t0ozY

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

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This week in the Brown Water studio, we sit down with Chris Lamey of Canine Coaching with Chris, a Mississippi Gulf Coast native and former Air Force K9 handler who spent years training and deploying military working dogs alongside elite units overseas.

🐕 From bomb detection and bite work to real-world combat deployments 🇺🇸 What it’s really like working with war dogs in Afghanistan 💣 The difference between patrol dogs, explosive detection dogs, and tier-one K9 units 🧠 Why Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds dominate military work 🏡 What everyday dog owners get wrong about training, behavior, and breed selection 🎯 How elite military K9 experience translates into smarter training for everyday dogs

This conversation goes deep into the bond between handler and dog, the realities of military K9 life, and why not every “cool” dog breed makes a good pet.

If you’re a dog owner, thinking about training, or just fascinated by how military working dogs operate at the highest level — this one’s a must-listen.

🎧 Hit play and enjoy another real conversation from the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Watch the full episode here ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/vv5uFmlCALU?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

On this episode of Brown Water Banter, we sit down with Terry Guilbeau—a Gulf Coast kayak fisherman whose story goes way deeper than most folks realize.

Terry didn’t just wake up one day paddling from shore to barrier islands. His journey took him from Louisiana to Texas, Miami, and eventually right here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Along the way, he built a career as an architect that led to an unexpected chapter—designing Margaritaville destinations around the world and working directly with Jimmy Buffett himself.

🍹 Designing Margaritaville from the ground up ✈️ Living life on airplanes, boats, and blue water 🛶 How offshore boats led to long-distance kayak fishing 🌴 Kayaking Biscayne Bay, the Everglades, and eventually Horn Island 🏝️ Why Mississippi’s barrier islands stopped him in his tracks 🔥 The mindset, preparation, and respect it takes to paddle miles offshore

This is a deep, laid-back conversation about chasing freedom, building a life around the water, and why sometimes the most “Brown Water” places turn out to be pure paradise.

If you’ve ever wondered what pushes someone to load a kayak and point it toward the horizon—this episode is for you.

Watch the full episode now ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/n6B7lnJrSCk?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

🎣🎨 Ocean Springs artist June Lipps joins the Brown Water Banter crew for the first episode of the year to talk about a craft that perfectly blends Gulf Coast fishing and fine art.

June dives into the ancient Japanese art of Gyotaku 🐟 — a fish-printing technique fishermen once used to document their catch long before cameras existed. From growing up fishing Davis Bayou and the barrier islands 🌊, to studying aquaculture and marine science 🧪, to turning real Gulf-caught fish into hand-painted artwork, her story is rooted in water, tradition, and creativity.

We break down the full Gyotaku process 🖌️ — prepping the fish, capturing scale detail, hand-painting each piece, and dealing with challenges like barotrauma, rigor mortis, and why some species are way harder to paint than others. June also explains how this art preserves the memory of a catch without sacrificing the meal 🍽️.

This episode is a true mix of fishing culture ⚓, coastal art 🖼️, and Gulf Coast heritage.

If you love fishing, conservation, or one-of-a-kind coastal art, this one’s for you.

Watch the full episode now ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/7HulCh7AVXg?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

This episode is a once-in-a-lifetime conversation with Fred Haise — Apollo 13 astronaut and Biloxi, Mississippi native.

Fred joins Brown Water Banter to talk about growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during the Great Depression, fishing and crabbing off the seawall, working as a newspaper boy in Biloxi, and how a kid from a small seafood town ended up in the space program.

We dive deep into Fred’s journey from journalism to the military, becoming a test pilot, and eventually being selected by NASA. Fred walks us through the intense training process for Apollo missions, what it was like preparing for spaceflight, and how incremental testing and preparation shaped NASA’s approach to risk.

This episode isn’t just about space — it’s about discipline, curiosity, service, and how life on the Gulf Coast helped shape one of the men who survived one of the most famous missions in human history.

An incredible story from a true American legend.

Watch the full episode now on YouTube ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/uC-ophFMbFU?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

🦪 Oyster season on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is finally showing signs of a real comeback — and we brought the experts into the studio to explain exactly how it’s happening.

In this episode of Brown Water Banter, we’re joined by Jason Rider, Shellfish Bureau Director, and Eric Broussard, Deputy Director Office of Marine Fisheries with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. They break down the science, history, and management behind Mississippi’s oyster reefs and what it takes to responsibly reopen oyster season.

🌊 How Mississippi oyster reefs declined and what recovery actually looks like 📊 The difference between historic harvest numbers and today’s reality ⚖️ How DMR assesses reefs and decides when seasons open or close 🦪 On-bottom harvesting vs off-bottom aquaculture explained 🌱 Why oysters are critical for water quality, fish habitat, and coastal protection

This episode pulls back the curtain on oyster management — from diver reef assessments to harvest limits — and explains why oyster recovery is a long game that affects far more than what ends up on your plate.

Watch the full episode now on YouTube ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/2QJxp6lBKZg?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

Comedian David Jolly joins Brown Water Banter live in Biloxi for a wild conversation about comedy, sobriety, and betting on yourself.

David breaks down his grind from Orlando open mics to the East Coast comedy circuit, landing in Austin, and becoming part of the Kill Tony and Comedy Mothership scene. We get into quitting whiskey to take comedy seriously, the freedom of speech comeback in stand-up, and how his viral DeAndre Holms sketches took off online.

This episode goes everywhere — from bombing for chicken wings to performing on some of the biggest comedy stages in the country.

If you like raw conversations, unfiltered comedy, and stories about chasing the shot when it finally shows up, this one’s for you.

🎙️ Listen now and enjoy the ride.

Watch the full episode now on YouTube ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/live/PyOaGfUBZGE

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

In this episode of Brown Water Banter, we’re joined in studio by Joel Davis, Nicole Nezat, and Biloxi City Councilman Wayne Gray to break down the inaugural Christmas on the Avenue event and what it means for Downtown Biloxi. Representative Scott Delano also joins us.

We cover how the idea came together, the city coordination behind the scenes, and why this event is a major step toward bringing more foot traffic, tourism, and holiday energy to Howard Avenue.

🎄 Event Highlights 🎶 Live music and multiple entertainment stages 💡 Grand Lighting of Howard Avenue with 150 sponsored Christmas trees ❄️ Snow falling in Downtown Biloxi 🎅 Santa Claus Parade 🍻 Santa Crawl with participating local businesses 🏠 Live Christmas trees donated to families in need after the event

📅 December 18–20 📍 Howard Avenue, Downtown Biloxi

This episode dives into the vision, the logistics, and the long-term goal of turning Christmas on the Avenue into a signature Gulf Coast holiday tradition.

Watch the full episode now on YouTube ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/6pepJ-upSF4?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter