The Harte Current-Fall 2021

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A PUBLICATION BY THE HARTE RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR GULF OF MEXICO STUDIES

TOP STORY

Remembering HRI Communications Manager Nikki Buskey INSTITUTE NEWS New Projects to Analyze Human Impacts on Water Resources

STAFF NEWS Executive Director Dr. Yoskowitz Receives NAS Appointments

TOP STORY

HRI Releases “A Bridge to Solutions” Short Film

HOLIDAYS AT HARTE HRI Celebrates the Holidays

MORE HRI NEWS INSIDE...

Friends of HRI, HRI is successful and impactful because of the people that I have the privilege to work with every day —our students, staff, and researchers.

Last month we lost an important member of our family, Nikki Buskey.

Nikki had been the voice of HRI since 2015 and was fundamental in sharing HRI’s science and solutions with local and national audiences while serving as our Communications Manager. We know Nikki was extremely proud of HRI and we are happy to share many of the projects she was a part of and articles she had written, in this newsletter. Her voice will be deeply missed.

One of the last major projects that Nikki and the HRI Communications team worked on was just completed and released – our short film titled “HRI: A Bridge to Solutions” which was produced with Ocotillo Films from Austin, Texas. It showcases work of HRI and details the unique multidisciplinary HRI Model that drives us and integrates the natural sciences, economy, and policy while educating and training future Gulf leaders. We hope you enjoy it!

Dr. David Yoskowitz, Senior Executive Director 1

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Remembering HRI Communications Manager

NIKKI BUSKEY

The Institute is saddened to announce the sudden passing of HRI Communications Manager Nikki Buskey on January 18th, 2022. Nikki’s experience in environmental communications was an invaluable asset to the Institute. From press releases, media interviews, multimedia productions, and institute publications, there wasn’t a public product that didn’t have Nikki’s stamp on it. HRI will be forever grateful for her work and will remember how it advanced the Institute’s impact across the Gulf.

CLICK HERE TO REMEMBER NIKKI

SHORT FILM "A Bridge to Solutions" Released The Harte Research Institute is proud to present in partnership with Ocotillo Films, our short documentary, “A Bridge to Solutions.” This film, developed by the HRI Communications Team, showcases how the Institute employs its unique HRI Model to engage our community partners, educate future Gulf leaders, and apply our cross-disciplinary approach to marine research to develop science-driven solutions for the Gulf of Mexico’s biggest problems. Bridging science, socio-economics, and policy in our search for answers, we here at HRI are committed to building an ecologically and economically healthy Gulf, now and into the future.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

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INSTITUTE NEWS

Register Now for the Gulf of Mexico Conference HRI is proud to be a sponsor of the Gulf of Mexico Conference 2022 taking place in April 2022 in Baton Rouge, LA. GOMCON combines the annual Gulf of Mexico Alliance All Hands Meeting, the annual Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference, and the tri-annual State of the Gulf Summit. Emphasizing the intersection of science and management across the Gulf Coast region, GOMCON will include sessions on themes that are important to ecosystem and community resilience as well as restoration and natural resource management.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Open Position - Endowed Chair for Marine Policy or Law HRI is hiring for the position of Endowed Chair for Marine Policy or Law. Applicants would be at the Associate or Full Professor level with a distinguished record of research in the theory and practice of policy, law and governance focused on addressing problems and developing solutions for issues facing our coastal and marine environments, with emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico.

CLICK HERE TO SEE POSTING

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INSTITUTE NEWS

Mathis Program Funds Projects Analyzing Human Impacts on Water Resources Three new projects led by HRI researchers are examining the human drivers of water quality and quantity issues facing Texans. The projects are part of an initiative that aims to study the socio-economic forces affecting water in the state, the Mitchell L. Mathis Program for Environmental Water Economics.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

2020-2021 HRI Fellowship Report Published In December we published our 2020-2021 Fellowships, Scholarships, and Internships Report. This report profiles the many ways individuals and entities have invested in the people, programs, and research at HRI. This report showcases the HRI students whose education and research have been paid for by philanthropic friends who believe in our mission.

CLICK HERE TO READ PUBLICATION

HRI Sponsors French American Innovation Days HRI sponsored the 2021 French American Innovation Days in September which included a number of presentations from HRI researchers. Webinars were geared towards the topics of Energy, Water, Resilience, and Biomimicry. Videos from the sessions can be found on the FAID website under “Post Event Videos” CLICK HERE TO READ ON

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STAFF & STUDENT NEWS

Executive Director Dr. David Yoskowitz Receives NAS Appointments Dr. David Yoskowitz, Senior Executive Director of HRI, has been appointed to two important committees of National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine that have a direct impact on science and policy in the Gulf of Mexico region as well as nationally: The Gulf Research Program Division Committee and the Standing Committee on Environmental Science and Assessment for Ocean Energy Management.

Dr. Dale Gawlik Featured in Islander Magazine HRI’s newest Chair, Dr. Dale Gawlik, was featured in TAMU-CC’s Islander magazine. Dr. Gawlik speaks about his experience in the Florida Everglades and what he hopes to study now along the Texas Coast along with forming partnerships with natural resource managers to protect our species and their habitats.

CLICK HERE TO READ PUBLICATION

Dr. Michael Wetz Receives CBBF Environmental Stewardship Award HRI Chair for Coastal Ecosystem Processes, Dr. Mike Wetz, was awarded the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation’s Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Award for Higher Education at their annual banquet in November 2021.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

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STAFF & STUDENT NEWS

Ocean Acidification Study Glider Launched in Gulf of Mexico The Ecosystem Science and Modeling lab took part in a research cruise to launch an autonomous glider in the Gulf of Mexico near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The collaborative project will be looking at ocean acidification through water quality monitoring done by the glider.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

COVID Water Quality Study Completed After mandatory quarantines closed South Texas beaches during the busy tourist season, researchers with TAMU-CC and HRI investigated the impact of this reduced pressure on our local waters. It was determined that there were no significant effects on water quality and also highlighted the need for strong baseline data to compare to in future studies.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

HRI Doctoral Student Receives NOAA Fellowship Ecosystem Science and Modeling doctoral student Larissa Dias was nominated by Texas Sea Grant to receive an Ocean Acidification Graduate Research Fellowship with the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. The fellowship will provide professional development and outreach opportunities.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

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STAFF & STUDENT NEWS

2021 CERF Conference Participation HRI had several researchers and students participate in the 2021 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Conference which took place virtually in November. Monisha Sugla won Best Graduate Oral Presentation and Daphne White won Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation. Both students are members of the HRI Coastal Conservation and Restoration laboratory.

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Halloween Pet Costume Contest

For Halloween, HRI held its first pet costume contest where staff and students enjoyed spooky snacks and voted on the best four-legged costume.

Pollack Lab Food Bank Volunteering

The Coastal Conservation & Restoration group did a service day for the Coastal Bend Food Bank.

HOLIDAYS AT HARTE

Chili Cook-Off Our 12th Annual Chili Cook-Off returned in November with a record-setting number of chili and dessert entries.

Student Angel Tree

The students of HRI organized a gift drive for teens in foster care as part of Giving Tuesday.

Hot Chocolate and Ornament Event We held our second annual Hot Chocolate & Cookies event where staff and students made cards and ornaments to send to local senior home residents along with donations collected all month long.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

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HIGHLIGHTS Ryan Rubino, recent HRI Fisheries and Mariculture master’s graduate, completed his NOAA EPP/MSI Experiential Research & Training Opportunity (NERTO) at NOAA Fisheries.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Dr. Greg Stunz was part of an article in Texas Monthly about the increasing struggles of international poaching in the Red Snapper fishery.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Dr. Xinping Hu was featured in a Verify Road Trip video discussing climate change and sea level rise.

CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Ride along with Dr. Dale Gawlik as his team heads out to the Upper Laguna Madre for some airboat field work in this new video.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Dr. Terry Palmer participated in a cruise to Stetson Bank in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in November to assist with locating long-term monitoring sites for researchers to get current photographic samples for reef health monitoring.

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HIGHLIGHTS

The Marine Science Graduate Student Organization (MSGSO) was able to get together for the first time in a year and a half for a bonfire at the beach this fall.

HRI researchers participated in the 2021 Texas Children in Nature Network Summit held at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth in early December.

Dr. Xinping Hu was appointed as a Topic Editor for a journal of the European Geophysical Union, Ocean Science in December 2021.

Texas OneGulf released its first Notice of Funding Availability under its new process to work in concert with the new Texas OneGulf Agency Council (TCEQ, GLO, TPWD, TWDB, TDEM.)

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PRESENTATIONS

Dr. Paul Montagna gave a presentation for the Texas Water Development Board’s Brown Bag event in September titled “Focused Flows to Maintain Natural Nursery Habitats”.

Dr. Larry McKinney was the featured speaker in December for the Texas Maritime Museum’s Lecture Series, giving a presentation about whales in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Paul Montagna was the Coastal Bend Audubon Society’s speaker for the January virtual meeting. His discussion was titled “Vulnerability of Corpus Christi Bay to Increased Salinities”.

Dr. Xinping Hu presented "Carbonate Chemistry Trends in Estuaries along a Climate Gradient - Symptoms and Causes" for a College of Marine Science webinar at University of South Florida on October 29, 2021.

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PRESENTATIONS

Dr. Katya Wowk presented and led a session at the Texas Department of Emergency Management’s Emergency Management Research Symposium on Coastal Bend work to advance Asset-Based Community Development.

Coral Lozada, HRI doctoral candidate, was a panelist for the Q&A session of “People – women in fisheries, workforce, investment, safety and building capacity” at the World Fisheries Congress in September 2021.

Chris Hale, Program Manager with HRI’s Socio-Economics Group and Regional Resilience Partnership, participated in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ 4th Annual Hazard Mitigation and Resilience Plan Workshop in November 2021.

Jennifer Wetz of the Fisheries and Ocean Health group presented “Fisheries Research in Your Backyard: Using Remotely Operated Vehicles to Survey Fish Communities” along with an ROV demonstration for the Marvin Baker Middle School Underwater Robotics Team in Corpus Christi, Texas.

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PUBLICATIONS

Effects of climate change on metabolite accumulation in freshwater and marine cyanobacteria.

Huang, I.S., Hu, X., Abdulla, H. and Zimba, P.V., 2021. Effects of climate change on metabolite accumulation in freshwater and marine cyanobacteria. Climate Change Ecology, 2, 100018.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ARTICLE

Anthropogenic effects on the marine environment adjacent to Palmer Station, Antarctica.

Palmer, T., Klein, A., Sweet, S., Montagna, P., Hyde, L., Wade, T., & Beseres Pollack, J. (2021). Anthropogenic effects on the marine environment adjacent to Palmer Station, Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 1-18.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ARTICLE

Dynamics of restored and natural oyster reefs after a hurricane.

Martinez MJ, Palmer TA, Breaux NJ, Beseres Pollack J (2022). Dynamics of restored and natural oyster reefs after a hurricane. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution-Conservation and Restoration Ecology.

AWAITING DOI

Designing cost-effective artificial reefs: fine scale movement and habitat use of Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) around a nearshore artificial reef complex Banks, K.G., J.M. Curtis, J.A. Williams, J.J. Wetz, and G.W. Stunz. 2021. Designing cost-effective artificial reefs: fine scale movement and habitat use of Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) around a nearshore artificial reef complex. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:1850-1862.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ARTICLE

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Co-Production of a Water Flow Decision Tool to Support Resource Management NOAA National Ocean Service PI – Dr. David Yoskowitz $124,998

NEW PROJECTS Develop, Field-Test, and Evaluate Oyster Reef Living Shorelines as a Conservation Practice to Improve Water Quality in Texas Estuaries USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Services PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $178,293

ESLR 2021 Coastal Resilience: Living with Sea Level Rise in the Coastal Bend

Influence of an Extreme Cold Air Outbreak on Food Web Dynamics in Baffin Bay

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration PI – Dr. James Gibeaut $296,249

Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $60,000

Oyster Recruitment Survey on Port-owned Submerged Property in Nueces Bay

Integrating Socioeconomic Impacts into Fisheries Restoration Decisions

Port of Corpus Christi PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $74,059

Duke University (Prime Sponsor: NOAA National Ocean Service) PI – Dr. David Yoskowitz $12,296

Supporting Conservation of Mesquite Bay Reefs

Improving Texas ESI Maps and Map Production Tools for Oil Spill Response

Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (Prime Sponsor: Environmental Protection Agency) PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $125,000

Texas General Land Office PI – Dr. James Gibeaut $372,995

Promoting and Informing Stakeholders on the Use of Living Shoreline Protection

Spatio-temporal Mapping of Contemporary and Future State-listed Heron and Egret Foraging Habitat in Florida

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Services PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $187,233

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Prime Sponsor: Fish and Wildlife Service) PI – Dr. Dale Gawlik $99,203

Better Understanding of Living Shorelines in Blue Carbon Capture & Storage in Support of Climate Smart Conservation Practices USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Services PI – Dr. Jennifer Pollack $350,000 FALL 2021

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GRADUATES

PH.D. GRADUATES

DR. SARAH TOMINACK PhD Marine Biology Coastal Ecosystem Processes – Dr. Michael Wetz

M.S. GRADUATES

DEVIN COMBA, M.S.

MS Marine Biology Coastal Conservation and Restoration – Dr. Jennifer Pollack

RACHAEL KLOSE , M.S.

MS Fisheries and Mariculture Marine Resources Development – Dr. Joe Fox

RYAN RUBINO, M.S.

MS Fisheries and Mariculture Marine Resources Development – Dr. Joe Fox

B.S. GRADUATES

Hannah Bueltel, B.S.

BS Environmental Science Coastal Conservation and Restoration – Dr. Jennifer Pollack

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EMPLOYMENT

PROMOTIONS

Daniel Coffey, Ph.D. Assistant Research Scientist Fisheries and Ocean Health

Kesley Banks, Ph.D. Assistant Research Scientist Fisheries and Ocean Health

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Matthew Streich, Ph.D. Associate Research Scientist Assistant Director of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation Fisheries and Ocean Health

Jeff Kaiser Research Specialist II Fisheries and Ocean Health READ MY BIO

READ MY BIO

NEW FACES

Hannah Bueltel Laboratory Technician Coastal Conservation and Restoration

Carissa Figueroa Business Coordinator I Administration Team READ MY BIO

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Kit Wheat MS Student Coastal Conservation and Restoration

Jose Trevino Facilities Coordinator I Operations Team READ MY BIO

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Hannah Zapata Student Research Assistant Coastal Conservation and Restoration READ MY BIO

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A PUBLICATION BY THE HARTE RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR GULF OF MEXICO STUDIES

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