On April 8th and 9th The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and the Mission-Aransas Reserve hosted the eleventh annual Texas Bays and Estuaries Meeting. The meeting featured several distinguished speakers and had an attendance of over 140 researchers, students, and resource managers. The purpose of the event was for researchers from around Texas to come together and learn from each other, resulting in a better understanding of the diverse coastal regions of Texas. As scientists, we have a tremendous opportunity and duty to understand the dynamics of our ecosystems and share that information with each other. Many participants presented presentations and posters that lent themselves to thought provoking ideas and problem solving solutions. The meeting awarded graduate students who presented the best oral presentations and posters. The awards for presentations were sponsored by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program and the awards for posters were sponsored by the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation. We are pleased to congratulate the following recipients for the student presentation awards. Oral Presentation
1st Place Meredith Evans, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
2nd Place Kathryn Mendenhall, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
3rd Place Juliet Lamb, Clemson University and Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Poster Presentation
1st Place Ashley Whitt, Texas A&M University-Galveston
2nd Place Jason Jenkins, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
3rd Place Eric White, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
This event was made possible by sponsorship from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Mission-Aransas Reserve, Coastal Conservation Association of Texas, Texas A&M University Harte Research Institute, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Coastal Bend Bays Foundation, Eureka Water Probes, Woody’s Sports Center, and Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce. Check out all the photos of the event on our Facebook Page.