Happy Earth Day! 🌎🌊🌳 Today we celebrate our beautiful planet and its marine ecosystems that we are lucky to research. Whether we’re fishing miles offshore or searching for tags on land, our work is dedicated to creating a sustainable and healthy future in fisheries. Every day is Earth Day! #TAMUCC
A couple weeks ago, the Movement Ecology Lab was invited to Ella Barnes Elementary for their STEM Day. Grad students, Cali, Katie and Yamilla, spend the whole day talking to students about sharks and fish! 🦈 🎣
#TAMUCC #STEM #teaching #outreach #TexasCoast
All research activities are conducted under permits SAL-25-1292-SRP, and ESA permit #22078, EVER-2025-SCI-0028. #TAMUCC #STEM #Research #NERTO
The smalltooth sawfish is an endangered species, and this survey contributes to estimating population abundance and understanding migratory patterns using acoustic telemetry. This work is critical to inform conservation and recovery strategies for imperiled species.
This last month, he also had the opportunity to participate in the juvenile smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) abundance surveys, which included a two-week expedition through the Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
During this time, he is evaluating the rate of shark depredation in the Gulf of Mexico reef-fish bottom longline fishery. This opportunity was supported through his NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems II Fellowship 🦈
MS student, Kyle, is currently in Panama City Beach, Florida for three months completing a NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunity (NERTO) with the Highly Migratory Species Branch under the mentorship of Dr. John Carlson.
Thank you to all who contributed to this incredible event!! We look forward to future events 🤩
#TAMUCC #STEM #Research #plasticpollution #TexasCoast
Jaz presented a poster on some of her work with southern flounder and she was awarded second place in student poster presentations! 🥳
Last week, PhD student Jaz attended the Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium in Galveston, Texas. This meeting brings together researchers, students, and advocates to connect about plastic pollution and its impacts on the environment 🌎♻️
Last week was busy! PhD students Jaz & Cali joined PhD candidate Yamilla fishing in Matagorda Bay for her gamefish project, while Katie presented her thesis work at TAMU-CC Science Thursdays. Thanks to #noaaresearch #nature_org #texasparkswildlife for support! #TAMUCC
Last week, our students had the privilege of scientific diving with the Texas State Aquarium. Come along with us on our dive day! 🤿🦈🐟 #tamucc
All fieldwork completed under permits SPR-1123-134/SPR-0614-111 and LOA F/SER24:RM. Special thanks to @texasseagrant, @noaaresearch, and @texasparkswildlife for funding our projects, and to our collaborators at the Marine Genomics Lab and @sportfishcenter
Wildlife is something that man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever - Joy Adamson
Happy World Wildlife Day from our STEM family to yours! 🌎🐟🎣🦪🌱🌊🦀🦈🪼
#TAMUCC #worldwildlife #research #fish #texas
Thanks to the Majoris Lab, TPWD and the McCracken Lab for photos and videos!!! #TAMUCC
Texas examples:
• Regal Damselfish (Neopomacentrus cyanomos) — non-native, potentially invasive
• Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) — invasive
• Tilapia — invasive
• Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) — invasive
• Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) — invasive
What is an invasive species?
An invasive species is a non-native organism that causes (or is likely to cause) economic, environmental, or human health harm.
Not all non-native species are invasive! The key difference is measurable harm.
Although International Day of Women and Girls in Science was last week, we want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding women in our lab 🔬🥼🧪
Thank you for the impact you make ✨
#WomenInSTEM #TAMUCC #internationalwomenandgirlsinscienceday #research
This week our team got out into the field to download our Aransas Bay acoustic receiver array. This data will be used by both PhD student Jaz and MS student Katie for their projects tracking the movement of flounder, sharks, and rays. Thanks to TPWD for their support! #TAMUCC
To complete our research along the Texas Coast, these are helpful skills for collecting data, analyzing it, and reporting it to the public! We have a variety of projects that require different jobs from us, so these are just a few of the ways we do that!🎣🦈🤿 #TAMUCC
Understanding marine predators’ diets helps reveal their foraging, trophic roles, niches, and habitat use. Researchers use various methods—none are perfect, but all give valuable insights 🧪🔬
For more information on how to participate, volunteer opportunities, or program guidelines, please contact your local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries office @texasparkswildlife
#TAMUCC #STEM #Research #Fieldwork #volunteer
📍 Drop-Off Locations
Aransas Bay
• Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp
Corpus Christi Bay
• South Conn Brown Harbor Public Boat Ramp
• Ransom Channel Public Ramp
Upper Laguna Madre
• Kaufer–Hubert Memorial Boat Ramp
2026 Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program 🦀♻️
February 20 – March 1, 2026
The Annual Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program helps reduce ghost fishing, improve water quality, and protect coastal habitats by removing lost or abandoned crab traps from Texas bays.
The Movement Ecology Lab kicked off 2026 at the TCAFS meeting in Galveston, TX!
Cali & Jaz presented posters; Katie, Kimber & Kyle gave oral talks. Congrats to Yamilla & Kimber (Harry Tennison Student Scholarship) and Katie (TCAFS Student Travel Award)! 👏 #TAMUCC
Friendly reminder as flounder season in Texas is open again: if you catch a tagged fish, please report 😊 #flounder #texas #tamucc #fishresearch
@cerfscience.bsky.social @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social
