GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Three new exhibits that teach visitors about the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico have opened at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/UfTxAI ) 75 third graders from D'Iberville were the first to try the Eco-Hero video game on Monday, funded with a $20,000 grant from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System. Players learn about sea life as they accumulate eco points.

An interactive Gulf of Mexico touch-screen display lets visitors see some of the same videos that are shown at the Smithsonian Institute of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

The third exhibit is a smartboard that Sharon Walker, director of education and outreach for IMMS, said shows the relationship between the Gulf states and the rest of the country.

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com

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