Join us for a series of presentations about estuary, coastal, and marine environments – led by the scientists who study them

Are you interested in science and want to learn more about fishes, birds, butterflies, or how to survive a tsunami? If so, our free public lectures at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s facilities in Port Aransas and Rockport will satisfy your curiosity. The lectures are free and open to the public. Prepare to be utterly engaged and learn more about the local bay systems and those that are far away.

Public lectures are offered in Port Aransas at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Visitor Center, located at 630 E. Cotter Ave, on Thursday evenings, from January 15th through March 12th. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

‘Bay Talks’ are offered in Rockport at the Bay Education Center (121 Seabreeze Drive) on Fridays at noon, from January 9th through March 13th. These 45-minute presentations are sponsored by the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The schedule for the 2015 lectures is as follows:

Port Aransas, UTMSI Visitor Center (630 E. Cotter Ave)
Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. from January 15th – March 12th. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

January 15th
Of Green Icebergs and Sea Spiders: The Amazing Fifteenth Antarctic Voyage of the Islas Orcadas
Tony Amos, Research Fellow, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

January 22nd
A Hypochondriac’s Guide to Texas Seafood: Parasites of your Favorite Fishy Dishes
Dr. Chuck Blend, Independent Researcher

January 29th
The March of Folly in Coastal Fisheries of the Upper Gulf of California
Dr. Brad Erisman, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

February 5th
Tsunami Survival Tips for Local Residents and World Travelers
John Metz, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service

February 12th
Special Panel: Research Medley Panel: Fish Ears, Arctic Temperatures, Bacteria and Tarpon
Graduate Students: John Mohan, Matt Khosh, Shuting Liu and Matt Seeley, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

February 19th
Birding Sites and Birds of Port Aransas
Scott Holt, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

February 26th
The Marine Side of the Monarch Butterfly
Dr. Tracy Villareal, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

March 12th
Nitrogen: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Invited Schewppe speaker, Dr. Iris Anderson, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary

 

Rockport, Bay Education Center (121 Seabreeze Drive)
Fridays, January 9th through March 13th at noon 

January 9th
A Tale of Two Fishes: A Brief History of Croaker Fisheries in the Gulf of California
Dr. Brad Erisman, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

January 16th
Water Quality and Seagrass Monitoring in the Mission-Aransas Estuary and Little Bay
Dr. Ed Buskey and Dr. Ken Dunton, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

January 23rd
Characterizing the Food Resources and Habitat Use of Black Drum in Baffin Bay
Kathryn Mendenhall, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

January 30th
The Big, the Bad, the Invasive: A Synopsis of What’s Invading the Texas Mid-Coast
Katie Swanson, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

February 6th
Migration Isn’t Just for the Birds: Discerning the Vertical Movement of Phytoplankton
Xana Hermosillo, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

February 13th
Water Circulation in the Mission-Aransas Reserve: The Effects of Tides, Winds, and the Opening of Cedar Bayou
Dr. Lindsay Scheef

February 20th
Cattle Ranching on Padre and Mustang Islands
Greg Smith

February 27th
Tale of Travelling Petroleum: Oil Spills and Our Gulf
Meredith Evans, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

March 6th
From Twitchers to Birders: A Journey with Our Feathered Friends
Linda Fuiman, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

March 13th
Exploring the Long-Term Effects of Human Activity on Marine Organisms Near McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Sara Smith, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute