Sally Palmer is the Communications Coordinator for The University of Texas Marine Science Institute. She received a bachelor of science in marine biology from the University of Rhode Island and earned a masters degree in marine science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Prior to her position handling communications, Sally served as the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve Manager. She also has research experience with benthic ecology, hypoxia, and ecosystem dynamics. Since 2006, Sally has help secure over $16 million in funding for administration, research and construction of educational facilities.
The ocean is in her blood. Since arriving to Corpus Christi in her teen years, Dr. Nancy Rabalais has been drawn to the coast. She was recently elected as one of the newest National Academy of Sciences members recognized for her...
Greetings,
We’re looking to the future. Please click the image below to view the Marine Science News, 1st Quarter edition of 2021.
You can download a PDF version of the document here.
The Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute just received a donation from Friends of the ARK for $40,000. These new funds were primarily collected in response to the cold-stunning sea turtle rescue event and were...
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...
Citizen scientists have the opportunity to compete to see who can submit the most observations about nature. This is the fifth annual City Nature Challenge, and last year 244 cities across six continents made over 815,000 observations and of those over...
To commemorate Women In History month we spotlighted seven women who have made significant impacts or promoted advancement for UTMSI and the marine science field.
Wildlife ecologist and artist Marcia Kier (now Marcia Hawthorne) painted scientifically accurate watercolors of biotopes displayed...
The February 2021 freeze caused a massive kill of marine life along the Texas Coast. Those dead fish and invertebrates, like oysters and worms, are in the process of decaying and will release lots of nutrients that will promote the growth...
The latest 2021 edition of the World University Rankings by Subject is naming 41 subject areas and programs at The University of Texas Austin among the top in the world. In particular, Marine Science moved up from 24 to rank number 21....
The winter storm Uri caused damage and hardship across the state of Texas. The effects were felt state-wide include along the Texas shoreline as thousands of sea turtles became stranded in the largest cold stun event ever recorded. As of 2/22/21...
The severe winter weather caused power outages, road closures, water pressure issues. It is also having a dramatic impact on the local wildlife. The recent freezing temperatures are causing many sea turtles in the bays to become stunned by the cold....
The northern Alaska coast is losing up to 1.3 square miles of land every year to the sea which is equivalent to the area of Central Park in New York City. This loss of land has a dramatic impact on local...
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) is very pleased to officially reopen its marina. The marina was created in the 1950s to facilitate easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and local bay systems. The marina serves the Institute’s...
2020 was a year to remember and we hope that you are all well. Please click the image below to view the Marine Science News, 4th Quarter edition of 2020.
Microplastics and plastic pellet contamination in local bays received national attend last year when petrochemical company Formosa Plastics agreed to pay $50 million in the largest-ever settlement of a lawsuit linked to the federal Clean Water Act. A portion of that...
The 2021 UTMSI Public Lecture Series is virtual and combined with the new Texas Science Festival. Free and open to science enthusiasts everywhere, the Texas Science Festival (Feb 16 - March 26) is a celebration of discovery and learning. Registration for...
A new study in Organic Geochemistry shines light on how sunlight likely changed Deepwater Horizon oil chemically and potentially made it more toxic and longer lasting. When the Deepwater Horizon well blew in 2010, it spewed 4.9 million barrels of crude...
This year is the 18th year that the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation hosts its Annual Conservation & Environmental Stewardship Awards Banquet and UTMSI is honored to have two recipients of the awards: Kristin Evans, Education Coordinator for the Mission-Aransas Reserve, and...
Greetings,
The weather is supposed to be cool this weekend, but the science continues to heat up. We have many exciting discoveries and news. Please click the image below to view the Marine Science News, 3rd Quarter edition of 2020.
It has been known for the last decade that zinc plays a critical role in reproduction in mammals, but a manuscript released today in Scientific Reports describe the first ever recorded evidence of a zinc spark in fish. A zinc spark...
Study reveals that Weddell seals primarily use sight to find obscure breathing holes
Until now, no one knew how Weddell seals navigate the ice-covered waters to locate breathing holes. Finding their way back to a breathing hole under the Antarctic ice...