Highlights
Skinny Seagrass May Increase Hurricane Risk
As the saying goes ‘you can never be too rich or too thin’ unless of course, you’re a seagrass blade in Texas. In Texas, the climax species such as Thalassia, or turtle grass, are two times narrower than their relatives in...
'Tis the Season for Science
Shout out to students who love science! Today's Port Aransas Science Fair is a culmination of research and experimentation by 4th and 5th graders from H.G. Olsen Elementary School. Each student designed, executed, and analyzed the results of their own science...
It’s a SWaMP Thing
With the wind whipping through her hair, donning polarized sunglasses and a bucket full of probes, research associate, Kelley Savage is the opposite of who you’d imagine when you picture the slimy green, frightening, superhero Swamp Thing. Unlikely as it may...
Marine Science Literature for Desalinization & Channel Deepening Projects
In July of 2018, the Port of Corpus Christi announced they were seeking a permit for a desalinization plant proposed for construction on Harbor Island in Port Aransas, Texas that would allow an average daily output flow of up to 95,600,000...
Beware of the Dead Zone; it’s sucking the oxygen out of the ocean
Deep beneath the waves of northern Gulf of Mexico is an area so dark and devoid of oxygen that few creatures can survive. It’s the Dead Zone and every summer it grows to cover on average of over 5,000 square miles...
2020 Discovery Fellowship Application Open
This highly selective doctoral studies fellowship is open to recent graduates with a bachelor or master of science degree. The fellowship will support an exceptional student with full tuition, competitive stipend, fringe benefits, and subsidized residential housing for five years. The...
Finding the Bad Actors in Fish Poisoning
Peering into an image of lots of brightly colored lines that look like a barcode, Dr. Deana Erdner, an associate professor the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, is on the hunt. She’s stalking dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus, to see...
Viruses in mangrove muck may be important influencer of methane emission
PORT ARANSAS - Viruses aren’t just in the germy smear a kindergartener can leave on the refrigerator door; they are all around us and infect every living creature. In fact, viruses may play a big role in the amount of methane...
A Hawaiian Cruise for Camera Enthusiast
PORT ARANSAS - This summer, biological oceanographer Tracy Villareal cashed in some frequent flyer miles and caught a flight to hop onboard a cruise off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The cruise had all the promise of relaxation: calm seas,...
Fingerprinting Oil
Oil is no stranger to the Gulf of Mexico and recently beachgoers have come face to face with sometimes-sticky oil remnants or tar balls. Oil can be released in gulf waters from naturally occurring seeps, or through accidents associated with man-made...
Back to School Shopping; when there’s a lab coat involved
This week students around the country head back to the classroom. The graduate students at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute are no less immune to the headache of back to school shopping, but instead of erasers and rulers, their...
Two-year Anniversary of Hurricane Harvey
August 25th, 2019 marked the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. UTMSI sustained approximately $45 million dollars worth of damage. It's been a long road to recovery, but we have made great progress.
Ageless Learning by the Sea
Quick, grandmother grab the end of the seine net. That phrase and many other unusual shouts were just a few that could be overheard during an Intergenerational Road Scholar Program hosted June 9-14th at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute....
Microplastic & Nurdle Literature
Recently there has been increasing concerns about microplastics and nurdles on Texas and Gulf of Mexico beaches. There are two categories of microplastics: 1) primary microplastics, which are manufactured as microbeads, capsules, fibers or pellets (nurdles), and 2) secondary microplastics that...
Going to Bat for the Oceans
June 8th was World Oceans Day and what better way to celebrate than to clean up the beach. The University of Texas Marine Science Institute and the Mission-Aransas Reserve partnered up with the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Texas Coastal Bend...
Port Aransas Ranks Near Top of Global Nature Challenge
Port Aransas may be a small town, but we are mighty when it comes to observing and documenting our wildlife. This year, Port Aransas and Mustang Island competed in the fourth annual City Nature Challenge. Over 150 cities across six continents...
Staff Service Awards
We'd like to wish a heart-felt congratulations to several of our staff for their service to the University. They are all extraordinarily dedicated employees who work hard to provide a valuable service to a wide variety of customers (supervisor, other faculty...
Earth Day is for the Birds
Since the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, this day has sparked hundreds of thousands of efforts to raise awareness about the nature that surrounds us. On today’s Earth Day, the Mission-Aransas Reserve at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute...
Summer Science Registration Open
UT Summer Science is an exciting, inquiry-based learning experience for students entering 3rd through 8th grade. Working alongside marine scientists from the University of Texas, students will experience science outside of the classroom. By the end of the program, students will...The University of Texas
Marine Science Institute
750 Channel View Drive
Port Aransas, TX 78373
Telephone Number:
361-749-6711
Fax Number:
361-749-6777
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