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Department of Marine Science

A Resource for Texas. A Resource for the World.

 

  • Housed at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas.
  • First marine laboratory on the Gulf Coast, established in 1941.
  • First to spawn redfish, flounder, croaker and cobia in captivity.
  • Manages the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, which at 186,189 acres, is the third-largest estuarine reserve in the nation.
  • Science and the SeaTM radio program is heard on 234 affiliates in 46 states states and in 52 countries.
  • 7,500 K–12 school children, 50 K–12 teachers and 25,000–30,000 visitors to visitor centers annually.
  • Over 7,400 people learn and participate in our community education programs.
  • Graduate students, post-doctoral research fellows, and research scientists make up our graduate & post-graduate community.
  • Our research portfolio is international in scope, and on average, totals over $7.9M every year.
  • Awarded over $16.3M in Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative grants to understand how oil spill disperses in the Gulf of Mexico and how it affects the Gulf ecology.
  • Scientists bring in more than $6 for every $1 the state spends on the institute.
  • Animal Rehabilitation Keep rescues and rehabilitates thousands of animals annually.
  • An innovative undergraduate Semester by the Sea program combines coursework with hands-on research.

The Department of Marine Science and Marine Science Institute are dedicated to understanding and sharing our knowledge of the world's oceans and coasts - critical ecosystems for the health and future of humanity and the earth. From tropical seas to polar oceans, our faculty and students expand our understanding of marine ecosystems, fisheries biology and biogeochemical cycles to improve resources, health and societal well-being.

Students

27 Graduate (Fall 2019)

Faculty

15 faculty
1 Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award
1 James Centorino Award for Marine Education
1 Texas Aquaculture Association Researcher of the Year (won two times)
1 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award
1 Sloan Fellow

Research

Red tide / Oil spills / Hypoxia and dead zones / Climate change / Drug development / Larval fish ecology / Fish migration / Captive spawning / Ciguatera / Ocean acidification / Nitrogen fixation / Biodiversity / Land-ocean linkages

Affiliated Centers & Institutes

Marine Science Institute
Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve