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Dolphin Multiple Stressor Assessments

Co-producing a conceptual model to support assessments of cumulative effects from multiple stressors on Houston area dolphins under CERCLA and OPA Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) decision makers will evaluate whether or not to pursue NRDA claims that include restoration of Houston area bottlenose dolphins potentially injured by releases of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, … Continue reading

Rehabilitation of Waterbird Nesting Islands

Colony Island Network Design and Implementation (CINDI): a prioritization tool to rehabilitate colony islands along the Texas coast Every four years, Texas creates a list of high priority colonial waterbird nesting islands in need of rehabilitation and decides which projects to implement. Given limited funds and little understanding of an island’s contribution to regional bird … Continue reading

Drone Surveys and Oil Spill Response

Protecting Texas coastlines from potential oil spills in Galveston Bay using drone surveys and maps of a new response effectiveness index Galveston Bay and the surrounding Texas coast are vulnerable to marine oil spills, from both the high volume of marine commerce through the Galveston Bay ship channel and from offshore oil exploration. The project … Continue reading

An Ecosystem-Based Conservation Framework for Oyster Reefs

DECORATE: Developing an ecosystem-based conservation framework for oyster reefs across Texas estuaries Previous management of oyster reefs in Texas has included closing oyster reefs to harvest, however the explicit effects of closures on the ecosystem functions of those reefs has not been well documented. The project team will quantify the effects of closures alongside other … Continue reading

Shorebird Habitat Restoration

Full Title: Restoring coastal wetlands for shorebirds: Leveraging lessons learned to identify research priorities and strategies to maximize future success This project will develop a research and application plan to incorporate elevation profiles into restoration projects to enhance shorebird habitat in the Salt Bayou ecosystem on the upper Texas coast. Lead Investigator: Anna R. Armitage, … Continue reading

Freshwater Inflow Decision Tool

Full Title: Co-production of a water flow decision tool to support resource management. This project will explore the feasibility of a freshwater inflow decision tool that will provide managers with a better understanding of the impact of allowing water to flow to the coast, and how to maximize environmental, social, and economic benefits while adapting … Continue reading

Bahia Grande Ecosystem Recovery

Full Title: Is the widening of secondary channels in Bahia Grande needed to improve habitat quality and productivity for its linked basins?  Managers need to know if the Bahia Grande ecosystem is functioning as a nursery and/or foraging grounds for fish to make informed decisions regarding whether to open Bahia Grande to public use. Lead … Continue reading

Multiple Stressors on Dolphins

Full Title: Developing a research framework to support assessments of cumulative effects from multiple stressors on dolphins in the Houston area under CERCLA and OPA This project will establish a collaborative working group to scope and design an evaluation framework for the assessment and restoration of Gulf of Mexico marine mammals in the face of … Continue reading

Living Shoreline Tool

Living Shoreline Tool Full Title: Living shoreline site suitability model transfer for selected water bodies within the Gulf of Mexico: A GIS and remote sensing-based approach This project adapted an existing computer model for assessing the suitability of a site for construction of a living shoreline, applied the model to Perdido Bay/Wolf Bay/Ono Island complex … Continue reading

Indicators for Ecosystem Health and Services

Full Title: Indicators and assessment framework for ecological health and ecosystem services This project identified, developed, and evaluated ecological health and ecosystem services indicators and an associated assessment and decision framework. The Team: Larry D. McKinney (Lead Investigator, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Larry.McKinney@tamucc.edu), Mark A. … Continue reading