• September 7, 2010 - “Monitoring the Effects of Humans at McMurdo Station, Antarctica”
  Speaker: Terry Palmer, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
  
  McMurdo Station is the largest community in Antarctica with a summer population of up to 1200 people. This U.S. research station has a long history dating back to 1902 when British explorer Robert Falcon Scott first established a base nearby. The history of the station is filled with heroic stories of exploration, advances in scientific knowledge and unfortunately the consequent environmental degradation associated with human habitation. Although waste disposal procedures are now some of the strictest in the world, a legacy of localized contamination persists.
  This presentation aims to introduce you to life in a very cold place near the bottom of the world and how humans interact with this unique environment.
  
  
• October 5, 2010 - “Freshwater inflows into Nueces Bay and the Nueces Delta - Management and Educational Outreach”
  Speakers: Jace Tunnell, Project Manager, and
  Jake Herring, Project Manager, both with Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program
  
  Jace Tunnell will talk about how the Nueces river water flows are managed, our involvement in that process, and the basic science behind environmental flows to estuaries.
  Jake Herring will talk about the Nueces Delta Preserve – purpose and scope of acquisitions, habitat management projects (fire, wetlands, invasive control, etc) and a brief overview of some education programs there.
  
  
• November 2, 2010 - “Sea Levels and Erosion on Texas Barrier Islands”
  Speaker: Dr. Jim Gibeaut, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
  
  Dr. Gibeaut presentation will focus on his research and development of virtual computer models to study the effects of storms and sea-level rise on barrier-island environments. Through this work we are able to understand coastal change and to guide in the projecting of future change.
  Dr. Gibeaut is the Endowed Associate Research Professor in Coastal and Marine Geospatial Sciences at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
  
  
• December 2, 2010 - “Assessing toxin content in local coastal areas, particularly those that are heavily used by shore/wading birds.”
  Speaker: Dr. Paul V. Zimba - Director of Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
  
  Dr. Paul V. Zimba will present his research on rapid assessment methods for harmful algae, including toxin and off-flavor producing species, development of fertilization recommendations to improve catfish fry survival, as well as a general improvement in our understanding of pond function.
  
  
• January 4, 2011 - “TBA”
  
  
  
• February 1, 2011 - “Attwater Prairie Chicken Survival ”
  Speaker: Terry Rossignol, Director, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
  
  The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is located near Sealy, Texas, 60 miles west of Houston. To explore and learn more about this refuge, visit their website at,
  Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
  
  

FIELD TRIPS 2010 - 2011