GERS 2018 Ecosystem Resilience and 

Restoration in a Changing World Biennial Conference 

November 8‐10, 2018 Galveston, Texas

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THANK YOU to our GERS 2018 Sponsors 

Platinum Sponsors 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Sponsors 

   

 

 

 

 

Silver Sponsors 

 

 

Department of Marine Biology

Department of Marine Sciences

Dr. Bill Merrell 

Dr. Jay Rooker 

Dr. John Schwarz 

Dr. Sam Brody 

Marilyn & Kevin McKay 

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Table of Contents About the Gulf Estuarine Research Society .................................................................................................. 3 

Congratulations to our Student Travel Award Recipients ............................................................................ 4 

Meeting Code of Conduct ............................................................................................................................. 5 

Schedule Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 6 

Plenary speakers ........................................................................................................................................... 8 

Detailed Program Schedule .......................................................................................................................... 9 

Thursday, November 8: Early Morning ..................................................................................................... 9 

Thursday, November 8: Late Morning .................................................................................................... 10 

Thursday, November 8: Afternoon ......................................................................................................... 11 

Friday, November 9: Morning ................................................................................................................ 12 

Friday, November 9: Early Afternoon ..................................................................................................... 13 

Friday, November 9: Late Afternoon ...................................................................................................... 14 

Poster Session Directory ......................................................................................................................... 15 

Abstracts ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 

Campus map ............................................................................................................................................... 18 

Venue layout ............................................................................................................................................... 19 

TAMUG and Other Meeting Information .................................................................................................... 20 

Food ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 

Parking .................................................................................................................................................... 20 

Infant care ............................................................................................................................................... 20 

Smoking .................................................................................................................................................. 20 

Banquet .................................................................................................................................................. 20 

   

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About the Gulf Estuarine Research Society  The Gulf Estuarine Research Society (GERS) is one of seven regionally based Affiliate Societies of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF). GERS is a not for profit educational organization for people interested in estuarine and coastal issues centering on the Gulf of Mexico. The fundamental goal is to promote research in the Gulf of Mexico. GERS is a very active research society with a current membership of about 175 scientists, researchers, and students from universities, agencies, and research labs along the Gulf coast.  At its scientific meetings, GERS also encourages students to present papers on their research in marine related areas. Awards are presented at each meeting for the best student papers. GERS also funds student travel to regional and national meetings.  GERS is proud to have a voice in coastal research and management, as human impacts on estuarine and coastal environments continue to escalate rapidly, presenting major challenges in characterizing and understanding ecosystem responses to such impacts. As society, and the scientific community in particular, faces these challenges, coastal research organizations such as the Gulf Estuarine Research Society are poised to assume strong leadership positions as representatives for scientists involved in such research.   

GERS 2017‐2019 Officers Anna Armitage – President 

Zack Darnell – Secretary/Treasurer Megan La Peyre – President‐Elect Michael Murrell – Past president Kelly Darnell – Member at Large 

Mark Woodrow – Member at Large Erin Kinney – Media Coordinator 

Melissa McCutcheon – Student Representative  

GERS 2018 Program Officers Conference chair: Anna Armitage  

Scientific program chair: Megan La Peyre Scientific program committee: Patrick Larkin, Jamie Steichen, Marc Hanke, 

Melissa McCutcheon, Victoria Congdon Fundraising: Kelly Darnell 

Student judging: Zack Darnell Student travel awards: Mike Murrell Career panel lead: Brian Roberts 

    

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Congratulations to our Student Travel Award Recipients  

Thank you to our student travel award sponsors who made these awards possible!  

    

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Meeting Code of Conduct  GERS is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive meeting environment for all participants. GERS follows the Meeting Code of Conduct adopted by their parent society, the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation. An abbreviated Code of Conduct is posted here; the full version is available on the CERF website www.erf.org. Report any concerns or violations of this code to event staff or a GERS Board member.   

 CERF/GERS Event Code of Conduct 

 CERF and GERS are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all. We expect all participants to abide by this Code in all venues.  Expected Behaviors Include: 

• Treating all participants with respect, dignity, and consideration; • Refraining from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech; • Being aware of your surroundings and of your fellow Participants. 

 Prohibited Behaviors Include: 

• Harassment ‐ unwelcome or offensive verbal, visual, or physical contact; • Sexual harassment ‐ unwelcome, unsolicited, and unreciprocated sexual advances, or other 

verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature; • Unruly or disruptive behavior; • Discriminatory conduct; • Deliberate intimidation, threatening, stalking, or following. 

 If you are being subjected to inappropriate conduct, notice that someone else is being subjected to inappropriate conduct, or have any other concerns, contact GERS Event staff at the Registration Booth.  

      

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Schedule Overview  Wednesday | 7 Nov  

Time  Event 

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM  Galveston Island State Park kayak tour 

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM  NOAA Turtle Barn tour 

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM  Galveston Island State Park Sunset hike 

  Thursday | 8 Nov 

8:00-5:00 Registration open: ASEC 2nd floor lobby

9:00-9:15 GERS President Welcome: ASEC 203

9:15-10:45 Session 1: SEAGRASS

ASEC 204 Session 2: WATER QUALITY

ASEC 205

10:45-11:15 BREAK: ASEC Lobby

11:15 - 12:30 Session 3: CARBON CYCLE

ASEC 204 Session 4: SHARKS & MAMMALS

ASEC 205

12:30-1:30 LUNCH ON-SITE (PROVIDED): ASEC 203

1:30-3:00 Session 5: MARSH/MANGROVE

ASEC 204 Session 6: FISH

ASEC 205

3:00 - 3:30 BREAK: ASEC Lobby

3:30-4:30 PLENARY - DENISE REED: ASEC 203

4:30-5:30 CAREER PANEL DISCUSSION: ASEC 203

5:30 - 7:00 POSTER SESSION AND MIXER (Appetizers & Drinks): ASEC 201/202

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 Friday | 9 Nov 

FRIDAY November 9, 2018

8:00-5:00 Registration open: ASEC 2nd floor lobby

9:00-10:00 PLENARY - MARCUS DRYMON: ASEC 203

10:00-10:30 BREAK: ASEC 201/202

10:30-12:00 Session 7: RESTORATION

ASEC 204 Session 8: BENTHIC

ASEC 205

12:00-1:15 LUNCH ON-SITE (PROVIDED): ASEC 203

1:15-2:45 Session 9: HURRICANE 1

ASEC 204 Session 10: OFFSHORE GULF/OIL

ASEC 205

2:45-3:15 BREAK: ASEC 201/202

3:15-4:45 Session 11: HURRICANE 2

ASEC 204 Session 12: MANAGEMENT/

MONITORING ASEC 205

4:45-5:45 RAFFLE & BUSINESS MEETING: ASEC 203

6:00-9:00 STUDENT AWARDS & BANQUET (OFF-SITE)

Saturday | 10 Nov  

Time  Event 

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM  Birdwatching in Galveston 

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM  Introduction to R workshop 

 

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Plenary speakers   

Denise Reed, Professor and Interim Director of the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, The University of New Orleans  Dr. Denise J. Reed is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in coastal marsh sustainability and the role of human activities in modifying coastal systems with over 35 years of experience studying coastal issues in the United States and abroad. Dr. Reed has served as a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of New Orleans, and spent five years as Chief Scientist at The Water Institute of the Gulf. She has served on numerous boards and panels addressing the effects of human alterations on coastal environments and the role of science in guiding restoration, and has been a member of the USACE Environmental Advisory Board and the NOAA Science Advisory Board. Dr. Reed received her B.S. degree in Geography 

from Sidney Sussex College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from University of Cambridge.  

Marcus Drymon, Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Mississippi State University 

Dr. Marcus Drymon is an Assistant Extension Professor at Mississippi State University. He is a fisheries ecologist whose research has focused on the ecological role of upper trophic level fishes in coastal ecosystems. He is particularly interested in the dynamics of coastal shark assemblages, which he examines through studies of their relative abundance, distribution, movements, and feeding habits. Most of his research has been conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico, an ecosystem with an exciting diversity of sharks, skates and rays. Through collaborations with recreational anglers and commercial fishermen, his primary research motivation is to provide the most current and applicable science to the managers of our 

coastal marine resources. This engagement is facilitated through participation on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Outreach and Education Advisory Panel, and well as NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel. Dr. Drymon earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Marine Science and Biology from Coastal Carolina University in 2000, a Master’s Degree in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston in 2003, and a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the University of South Alabama in 2010.    

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Detailed Program Schedule Thursday, November 8: Early Morning 

8:00-5:00 Registration open: ASEC 2nd floor lobby 9:00-9:15 GERS President Welcome: ASEC 203

Session 1: ASEC 204 Session 2: ASEC 205

9:15-10:45 SEAGRASS Moderator: Patrick Larkin

WATER QUALITY Moderator: Melissa McCutcheon

9:15

UNCERTAINTIES AND SAMPLING PATTERNS IN GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF MARINE PLANTS. Barnabas H. Daru

MOLECULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER FROM THREE SOUTH TEXAS RIVERS: INSIGHTS PROVIDED BY THERMAL SLICING PYROLYSIS GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS SPECTROMETRY AND AMINO ACID ANALYSIS. John A. O'Connor; Kaijun J. Lu; Jianhong Xue; Zhanfei Liu

9:30

SEAGRASS STATUS, DISTRIBUTION, AND COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AT THE CHANDELEUR ISLANDS, LOUISIANA. Kelly M. Darnell; Christian T. Hayes; M. Zachary Darnell

SYNTHESIS OF WATER QUALITY STUDIES IN BAFFIN BAY WITH A VIEW TOWARDS SOLUTIONS. Michael S. Wetz; Emily K. Cira; Kenneth C. Hayes

9:45

IN THE WAKE OF A MAJOR HURRICANE: DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS ON EARLY VERSUS LATE SUCCESSIONAL SEAGRASS SPECIES. Victoria M. Congdon; Christina E. Bonsell; Meaghan R. Cuddy; Kenneth H. Dunton

LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY TRENDS IN TEXAS ESTUARIES: RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIMATIC VARIABILITY AND WATERSHED LAND USE CHANGE. Kalman Bugica; Blair Sterba-Boatwright; Michael S. Wetz

10:00

EVALUATING A SEAGRASS PRODUCTIVITY MODEL FOR THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE. Hudson R. DeYoe; Warren M. Pulich Jr.; Nicole Laas; John N. Garcia

HYDROLOGY; WATER CHEMISTRY & BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS USED TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF TREATED EFFLUENT FLOWING VIA GROUNDWATER TO THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE. Rosamarie Perdomo; John Garcia; Eli Gonzalez; Chu-Lin Cheng; Hudson R. DeYoe

10:15

NEKTON USE OF TURTLEGRASS ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. Christian T. Hayes; M. Zachary Darnell; Lee D. Smee; Charlie W. Martin; Brad T. Furman; Kelly M. Darnell

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NITRATE LEVELS IN PENSACOLA BAY AREA RAIN WATER. Jade Jacobs; Jane Caffrey; William Landing; Alexander Maestre; Subhash Bagui

10:30

SEAGRASS IMPACTS ON POREWATER BIOGEOCHEMISTRY: A COMPARISON OF 4 SPECIES. Mackenzie Rothfus; Katherina Smyth; Florian Cesbron; Jane M. Caffrey

SEDIMENT NITROGEN CYCLING AND REMOVAL IN TIDAL FRESHWATER ZONES OF TWO TEXAS RIVERS. Xin Xu; Hengchen Wei; Kevan Moffett; James McClelland; Amber Hardison

10:45-11:15 BREAK: ASEC 2nd floor lobby

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Thursday, November 8: Late Morning 

Session 3: ASEC 204 Session 4: ASEC 205

11:15 - 12:30 CARBON CYCLE Moderator: Melissa McCutcheon

SHARKS & MAMMALS Moderator: Victoria Congdon

11:15

FIDDLER CRAB BURROWING AND OIL POLLUTION ALTER GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES FROM SALT MARSH SOIL. Charles A. Schutte; Adrianna Grow; Scott Jones; Brian Roberts

THE EFFECTS OF LIPID EXTRACTION ON DELTA 13C AND DELTA 15N RATIOS ACROSS TAXA, TISSUES, AND TROPHIC GROUPS. Carl S. Cloyed; Kayla P. DeCosta; Matthew R. Hodanbosi; Ruth H. Carmichael

11:30

DIEL VARIATION IN CARBON FLUXES AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY IN SALT MARSH ECOSYSTEMS. Brian J. Roberts; Scott Jones; Herbert Leavett; Ryann Rossi; Charles Schutte

FLORIDA MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) DIET IN THE NORTHCENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. Kayla P. DaCosta; Ruth H. Carmichael

11:45

ANTHROPOGENIC INPUTS ENHANCE CH4 AND CO2 VALUES IN THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY. Brian A. Brigham; Jeffrey A. Bird; Andrew R. Juhl; Angel D. Montero; Gregory D. O'Mullan

INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER INFLUX ON THE DIET AND BODY CONDITION OF THE COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS, IN MOBILE BAY, ALABAMA. Matthew R. Hodanbosi; Ruth H. Carmichael

12:00

ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC CO2 IMPACTS ON TIDAL FRESHWATER FOREST AND OLIGOHALINE MARSH RESILIENCE AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. Courtney T. Hall; Camille L. Stagg; Ken W. Krauss; Kim Hamm; Darren Johnson

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE NURSERY DYNAMICS OF JUVENILE BULL SHARKS (CARCHARHINUS LEUCAS) IN TWO TEXAS ESTUARIES. Amanda J. Lofthus; Jeffrey R. Wozniak; Philip Matich

12:15

HOW DOES CO2 AFFECT BIOACTIVE METABOLITE ACCUMULATION BY FRESHWATER AND MARINE CYANOBACTERIA? I-Shuo Huang; Xinping Hu; Paul V. Zimba

RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY BEHAVIOR OF BLACKTIP SHARKS REVEALED THROUGH NATURAL TRACERS AND ELECTRONIC TAGS. John A. Mohan; Jill Hendon; Elizabeth Jones; Brett Falterman; Kevin Boswell; R.J. David Wells

12:30-1:30 LUNCH ON SITE (provided): ASEC 203

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Thursday, November 8: Afternoon 

Session 5: ASEC 204 Session 6: ASEC 205

1:30-3:00 MARSH/MANGROVE Moderator: Victoria Congdon

FISH Moderator: Danielle Aguilar

1:30

MODELING EFFECTS OF SUBGRID SCALE TOPOGRAPHY IN SHALLOW COASTAL MARSHES. Zhi Li; Ben R. Hodges

CHARACTERIZATION OF SALTMARSH TOPMINNOW - FUNDULUS JENKINSI POPULATIONS ALONG THE TEXAS COAST. George J. Guillen; Jenny Oakley; Cory Scanes; Mandi Gordon

1:45

DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY OF ALGAL SANDFLAT MATS OF LAGUNA MADRE, TX. Sergei Shalygin; Paul V. Zimba; I-Shuo Huang; Lixin Wang

MICROPLASTIC IN THE DIET OF JUVENILE FISH FROM CORPUS CHRISTI BAY. Polly A. Hajovsky; Michelle J. Bromschwig; Simon J. Geist

2:00

FUNGAL PATHOGEN PRESENCE AND DIVERSITY OF FOUR SALT MARSH PLANTS IN LOUISIANA. Ryann E. Rossi; Karolyn L. Agosto Shaw; Brian J. Roberts

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND FOOD WEB STRUCTURE OF LARVAL FISH AT A GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL INLET. Michelle J. Bromschwig; Polly A. Hajovsky; Simon J. Geist

2:15

FREEZE EFFECTS ON BLACK MANGROVES WITHIN THE TEXAS MARSH-MANGROVE ECOTONE. Carolyn A. Weaver; C. Edward Proffitt

FOOD WEB EFFECTS OF MANGROVE ENCROACHMENT ON PENAEID SHRIMP. Justin S. Lesser; Jennifer Doerr; James A. Nelson

2:30

FERTILIZATION AFFECTS BLACK MANGROVE LIFE HISTORY CHARACTERS IN TEXAS ESTUARIES. C. Edward Proffitt; Donna J. Devlin; I. Candy Feller; Carolyn A. Weaver

INFLUENCE OF HABITAT HETEROGENEITY ON ESTUARINE FISH COMMUNITIES IN ESPIRITU SANTO BAY, TEXAS. Mallika R. Beach-Mehrotra; Jeffrey R. Wozniak; Philip Matich

2:45

AVICENNIA GERMINANS SURVIVAL AND GROWTH IN A COMMON GARDEN EXPERIMENT IN TEXAS SOUTH COASTAL BEND. Donna J. Devlin

LINKING HABITAT USE AND TROPHIC ECOLOGY OF SPOTTED SEATROUT (CYNOSCION NEBULOSUS) ON A RESTORED OYSTER REEF IN MATAGORDA BAY, TEXAS. Thomas C. TinHan; John A. Mohan; Mark Dumesnil; Bryan M. DeAngelis; R.J. David Wells

3:00 - 3:30 BREAK: ASEC 2nd floor lobby

3:30-4:30 PLENARY - DENISE REED "Preparing for Change: Science, Scientists, and

Decision-Making": ASEC 203

4:30-5:30 CAREER PANEL DISCUSSION - Graduate students & early career

researchers: ASEC 203

5:30 - 7:00 POSTER SESSION AND MIXER: ASEC 201/202

Appetizers and drinks

7:00 Dinner on your own

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Friday, November 9: Morning 

8:00-5:00 Registration open: ASEC 2nd floor lobby

9:00-10:00 PLENARY - MARCUS DRYMON "Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Through Time:

Modern Approaches for Tracking Ancient Fishes": ASEC 203

10:00-10:30 BREAK: ASEC 201/202

Session 7: ASEC 204 Session 8: ASEC 205

10:30-12:00

RESTORATION Moderator: Christian Hayes

BENTHIC Moderator: Marc Hanke

10:30

ASSESSMENT OF FOOD WEB RECOVERY FOLLOWING RESTORATION USING HYPERVOLUME ANALYSIS. W. Ryan James; James A Nelson

BOTTOM-UP EFFECTS OF A CHANGING COASTAL WETLAND LANDSCAPE ON UCA SPP. IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. Janelle A. Goeke; Anna Armitage

10:45 TBD

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY AND SPECIES DELIMITATION REVEALS CRYPTIC DIVERSITY AND THE IMPACTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FORMATION ON A SAND-BURROWING CRUSTACEAN. Zachary B. Hancock; Jessica E. Light; Mary K. Wicksten

11:00

COMPARISON OF GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE GULF KILLIFISH (FUNDULUS GRANDIS) BETWEEN RESTORED AND NATURAL SPARTINA SALT MARSHES IN GALVESTON BAY, TEXAS. G. Janelle Espinoza; Jaime R. Alvarado Bremer

EXPLORING THE MICROBIAL LOOP: TROPHIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MICROZOOPLANKTON AND PHYTOPLANKTON IN EUTROPHIC AND OLIGOTROPHIC WATERS OF THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. Mrunmaye G. Pathare; Hans J. Prevost; Beth A. Stauffer

11:15

EVALUATING PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND RESPIRATION ON ARTIFICIAL REEFS USING BIOFILM SAMPLERS. Beija Gore; Florian Cesbron; Kendra Brooks; William Patterson; Jane Caffrey

A META-ANALYSIS OF OYSTERS AND ORGANIC MATTER SOURCES IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO USING STABLE ISOTOPES. Danielle Aguilar, Jennifer Pollack; Megan La Peyre; Benoit Lebreton

11:30

OYSTER REEF RESTORATION: INFLUENCE ON OYSTER RECRUITMENT AND HEALTH, BENTHIC INFAUNA, AND REEF-ASSOCIATED MACROFAUNA. Meghan J. Martinez; Terry A. Palmer; Jennifer B. Pollack

EASTERN OYSTER (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) SETTLEMENT AND POPULATION CONNECTIVITY IN A FRESHWATER DOMINATED ESTUARY. Haley N. Gancel; Ruth H. Carmichael

11:45

OYSTER REEF RESTORATION LEADS TO FAUNAL PRODUCTION ENHANCEMENT IN MATAGORDA BAY, TEXAS. Abby E. Williams; Terence A. Palmer; Jonathan H. Grabowski; Jennifer B. Pollack

EARLY RECRUITMENT OF CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA TO RESTORED AND HISTORIC OYSTER REEFS IN THE WESTERN MISSISSIPPI SOUND: LARVAL SUPPLY AND POST-SETTLEMENT SUCCESS. Leah M. Morgan; Chet F. Rakocinski

12:00-1:15 LUNCH ON SITE (provided): ASEC 203

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Friday, November 9: Early Afternoon 

Session 9: ASEC 204 Session 10: ASEC 205

1:15-2:45 HURRICANE 1 Moderator: Jamie Steichen

OFFSHORE GULF/OIL Moderator: Megan La Peyre

1:15

SUMMARIZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HURRICANE HARVEY. Erin L. Kinney; Stephanie Glenn; Bill Bass; Qian Song

FROM LARGEST TO FOURTH SMALLEST: SIZE OF NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO 'DEAD ZONE'. Nancy N. Rabalais; R. Eugene Turner

1:30

RESPONSES OF PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES TO HURRICANE HARVEY IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. Gulce Kurtay; Beth A. Stauffer

PATTERNS IN PHYTOPLANKTON AND BENTHIC PRODUCTION ON THE SHALLOW CONTINENTAL SHELF IN THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. Jane M. Caffrey; Florian Cesbron; Michael C. Murrell; Melissa E. Hagy; Wade H. Jeffrey; William F. Patterson III

1:45

IMPACT OF HURRICANE HARVEY ON PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN THE MISSION-ARANSAS ESTUARY, TX. Elizabeth A. Schattle; Amber K. Hardison; Zhanfei Liu; Sarah V. Douglas; Hengchen Wei; Jianhong Xue

HOW ARE ZOOPLANKTON ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION INFLUENCED BY THE LOOP CURRENT AND MISSISSIPPI RIVER PLUME? Jillian Gilmartin; Hui Liu

2:00

PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN A SHALLOW RIVER DOMINATED ESTUARY: EFFECT OF WATER COLUMN STRATIFICATION ON SIZE DISTRIBUTION AND TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION. Michael C Murrell

MODELING JELLYFISH POPULATION DYNAMICS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. Chengxue Li; Hui Liu

2:15

EFFECTS OF HURRICANE HARVEY ON LARVAL FISH DISTRIBUTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. Shannan McAskill; Michelle Bromschwig; Simon Geist

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TIDAL EDDIES FOR OPERATIONAL OIL SPILL MODELS. Dongyu Feng; Ben R. Hodges

2:30

SUBMERGENCE, NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT, AND TROPICAL STORM IMPACTS ON SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA IN THE MICROTIDAL NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. Jennifer M. Hill; Peter Petraitis; Kenneth L. Heck Jr.

IDENTIFICATION OF BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS CONTRIBUTING TO OIL TOLERANT ABILITY OF DUNALIELLA TERTIOLECTA. Manoj Kamalanathan; Savannah Mapes; Jessica Hillhouse; Laura Bretherton; Hernando Bacosa; Antonietta Quigg

2:45-3:15 BREAK: ASEC 201/202

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Friday, November 9: Late Afternoon 

Session 11: ASEC 204 Session 12: ASEC 205

3:15-4:45 HURRICANE 2 Moderator: Jamie Steichen

MANAGEMENT/MONITORING Moderator: Megan La Peyre

3:15

WATER QUALITY VARIABILITY IN GALVESTON BAY, TX FOLLOWING THE EXTREME FLOODING EVENT CAUSED BY HURRICANE HARVEY. Jamie L. Steichen; Rachel Windham; Jessica Labonté; David Hala; Karl Kaiser; Hernando Bacosa; Manoj Kamalanathan; Samanatha Setta; Antonietta Quigg

SOURCES OF WATER QUALITY INDICATORS TO SHELLFISH GROWING AREAS IN THE NORTHCENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. Ruth Carmichael, Ashley Frith; Kevin Calci

3:30

INFLUENCE OF DROUGHT, PERIODIC STORM EVENTS, AND HURRICANE HARVEY ON PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER COMPOSITION IN A SUBTROPICAL TEXAS ESTUARY. Sarah V. Douglas; Jianhong Xue; Amber K. Hardison; Zhanfei Liu

DEVELOPING A COASTAL HEALTH INDEX FOR THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. Jenny W. Oakley; Frances Gelwick; Michelle Lawing; Anna Armitage; George Guillen

3:45

ELUCIDATING MOLECULAR LEVEL INFORMATION OF DISSOLVE ORGANIC MATTER FROM SOUTH TEXAS RIVERS BEFORE AND AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY. Kaijun Lu; Zahnfei Liu

CULTIVATING A CONSERVATION ETHIC: THE GALVESTON BAY REPORT CARD. T'Noya W. Thompson

4:00

IMPACT OF HURRICANE HARVEY ON SEDIMENT BIOGEOCHEMISTRY IN THE MISSION ARANSAS ESTUARY, TEXAS. Amber K. Hardison; Xianbiao Lin; Xin Xu; Kaijun Lu, Sarah V. Douglas; Jianhong Xue; Zhanfei Liu

MAKING MONITORING MATTER: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION IN THE HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA. Sarah Gossett; Lindsey Nolan

4:15

HAS SUBSIDENCE WITHIN THE UPPER REACHES OF GALVESTON BAY RESULTED IN ELEVATED TRAPPING OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT FROM THE FLOODWATERS OF HURRICANE HARVEY? Timothy M. Dellapenna; Victoria Bartlett; Mason Bell; Lisa Hill, Mohammad al Mukaimi

GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL SCIENCE AND COASTAL MANAGEMENT: TEACHABLE MOMENTS FROM A LONG, DISAPPOINTING CAREER. Kenneth G. Teague

4:30

DRAMATIC ESTUARINE RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HARVEY: OBSERVATIONAL AND NUMERICAL APPROACHES. Jiabi Du; Kyeong Park; Timothy M. Dellapenna

REVERSING WETLAND DEATH FROM 76,000 CUTS: OPPORTUNITIES TO RESTORE LOUISIANA'S DREDGED CANALS. R. Eugene Turner; Giovanna McClenachan

4:45-5:45 RAFFLE & BUSINESS MEETING: ASEC 203

6:30-9:00 STUDENT AWARDS & BANQUET (Fisherman’s Wharf)

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Poster Session Directory: Thursday November 8, 5:30-7:00pm

Poster # WATER QUALITY

1 Melissa Rae McCutcheon; Xinping Hu

Temporal variability and driving factors of the carbonate system in the tidal inlet of a semiarid estuary

2 Katerina Smyth; Jane Caffrey Short term variability in water quality In Indian Bayou

3 Grace Lily Sommerville; Jane Caffrey

Spatial and temporal variability in water quality in three urbanized bayous of the Pensacola Bay System, Escambia County, Florida, USA

4 Anna Katharyne Millender Apparent oxygen utilization of Bear Point Bayou

PLANKTON

5

Rachel Windham; Kirana Berich; Katie Bowers; Tyra Booe; Hannah Lee; Allyson Lucchese; Amelia McAmis; Allison McInnes; Jamie Steichen; Antonietta Quigg

Extreme weather effects on phytoplankton community composition in Galveston Bay, Texas: visualizing ecosystem response

6 Amelia K McAmis; Jamie L. Steichen; Antonietta Quigg

The effects of Hurricane Harvey on the phytoplankton community in Galveston Bay

7 Tiffany L. Chin; Michael S. Wetz; Kenneth C. Hayes

Spatial-temporal distribution of size-fractionated chlorophyll in three estuaries of the Texas coast with different freshwater inflow regimes

8

Savannah A. Mapes; Manoj Kamalanathan; Meng-Hsuen Chiu; Hernando Bacosa; Kathy Schwehr; Shih-Ming Tsai; Shawn Doyle; Alexandra Yard; Carlos Vasequez; Laura Bretherton; Jason Sylvan; Peter Santschi; Wei-Chun Chin; Antonietta Quigg

Role of diatom polysaccharide synthesis in diatoms and the associated bacterial in response to hydrocarbon exposure

9 Hans Joseph Prevost; Mrunmayee Pathare; Beth A Stauffer

Comparison of seasonal abundances of pico- and nanoplankton in a South Louisiana estuary

SEAGRASS

10 Victoria Henry; Donald Fontenot; Barbara Albrecht; Rick O’Conner; Christina Verlinde; Jane Caffrey

Seagrass monitoring in the Pensacola Bay System: A partnership between citizens and the University of West Florida

11 Caitlin Mackenzie Young;Victoria M. Congdon; Kenneth H. Dunton

Response of Thalassia testudinum to physical disturbance of Hurricane Harvey

12 Patricia Aileen Janssen; Lauren A Yeager; Kenneth H Dunton; Victoria M Congdon

Effects of a high-intensity disturbance event, Hurricane Harvey, on the biodiversity of seagrass epifauna in the Mission-Aransas estuary

13 Sara S. Wilson; Bradley T. Furman; Margaret O. Hall; James W. Fourqurean

Long-term monitoring programs allow for assessment of Hurricane Irma impacts to South Florida seagrass communities

14 Ivy M. Hinson; Christopher A. Gabler; Abdullah F. Rahman

Developing remote imaging methods for seagrass bed and soil carbon assessment

15 Sebastian Rubiano-Rincon; Ashley Hamilton; Patrick D. Larkin

A genetic analysis of the seagrass Halodule wrightii from Oso Bay, Texas

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Poster Session Directory (cont.): Thursday November 8, 5:30-7:00pm

MARSH/MANGROVE/WETLANDS/RESTORATION

16 Emily Jordan Smith; Amanda Essoh; Jordan Denis Snowden; Matthew P. Hoch

Geochemical evaluation of salt marsh elevated with Best Use Dredge Material in Southeast Texas

17 Rachael Marie Glazner; Anna R. Armitage

Do black mangrove and salt marsh vegetation provide different prey refuge values?

18 Harris B. Stevens; William C. Vervaeke; Mark W. Hester

A tidal mesocosm investigation elucidating the role of belowground warming on Spartina alterniflora and Avicennia germinans species interactions and growth responses

19 Jamie E. Thompson; Anna R. Armitage

The rate and trajectory of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) recovery from a severe freeze event in Galveston, Texas

20 Erin A. Miller Shoreline stabilization potential of restored oyster reefs in Galveston Bay, Texas

21 Kerri M. Crawford; Michelle H. Bush; Hannah Locke; Noah C. Luecke

Effects of microbial amendments and plant diversity on dune restoration

22

Lauren M. Hutchison; Kara Coffey; Jill Hamilton; Sara Mason; Lydia Olander; Chris Shepard; Heather Tallis; Katie Warnell; Katya Wowk; David Yoskowitz

Ecosystem service logical models and metrics for Gulf restoration: Linking project outcomes to economic, health, and wellbeing benefits for people

23 Rachel E. Sanchez-Ruffra; Marc H. Hanke

A black death? Can relic oyster shell be used in restoration efforts?

NEKTON/INVERTEBRATES

24 Amanda Michelle Kincke-Tootle; Kevin Briggs

Polychaetes tubes, turbulence, and erosion of fine-grained sediment

25 George Guillen; Marc Mokrech Mapping intertidal oyster reefs using side-scanning sonar

and drone systems

26 Justin Ray Hansen; Jenny Oakley; Stephen Curtis; George Guillen

Hunting for the elusive American Eel along the Texas Coast

27 Elaine Mae Kurr; Paul A. Montagna Focused flows for natural hatcheries in Texas estuaries

28 David P. Behringer; James A. Nelson

Assessing utilization of an artificial reef complex and broad-scale movement patterns of juvenile red drum in lower Barataria Bay, Louisiana

29 Ashley Frith; Kristín Björnsdóttir-Butler; Ruth H. Carmichael

Environmental drivers of histamine-producing bacteria in water samples and decomposing Spanish mackerel tissues

30 Taylor Clement; Taylor Clement; Allen Schaefer; Jennifer M. Hill

Do sub-lethal amounts of pesticides alter the foraging and behavior of periwinkle snails (Littoraria irrorata)?

31 Allen D. Schaefer Jr; Taylor E. Clement; Nathan C. Hammond; Jennifer M. Hill

Can low doses of pesticides alter trophic interactions? The impacts of Carbaryl on blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) behavior and foraging

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Poster Session Directory (cont.): Thursday November 8, 5:30-7:00pm

OIL

32 Kimberly Michelle Peter;Ruth H. Carmichael

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as retrospective bioindicators to detect oil contamination in the marine environment

33 Jennifer Lynne Genzer; Jennifer Lynne Genzer, Antonietta Quigg

Potential impacts of ocean acidification on diatom aggregation when exposed to crude oil

34 Jessica Hillhouse; Talia Rodkey; Antonietta Quigg

Effects of silica starvation on diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum in the presence of oil and surfactant

35 Noah Joseph Claflin; Manoj Kamalanathan, Jessica Hillhouse, Antonietta Quigg

Role of exoenzymes in marine snow formation in presence of oil and dispersant

36

Rachel L. Mugge; Melissa L. Brock; Jennifer L. Salerno; Melanie Damour; Robert A. Church, Jason Lee; Leila J. Hamdan

The interaction of biofilm microbiomes, historic shipwreck preservation and the Deepwater Horizon spill

37

Zhanfei Liu; Zucheng Wang; Xianbiao Lin; Kaijun Lu; Sarah Douglas; Jianhong Xue; Amber Hardison

The impact of Hurricane Harvey on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanes in surface sediments of Aransas and Copano Bays in south Texas

 

Abstracts  To conserve funds and trees, abstracts are available only online.      

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Campus map  

 

    

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Venue layout 

    

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TAMUG and Other Meeting Information  Food At all conference events, options will be available for attendees with allergies to dairy, gluten, and nuts, and for vegetarians and vegans. There may be nut products in some dishes; any dish with nuts will be labelled. 

Breaks: coffee, tea, water Lunches: Sandwiches or wraps, chips, cookies, drinks Poster session mixer: Appetizers, drinks Closing banquet: Seafood/chicken/pasta buffet, dessert, drinks 

 Parking For conference attendees who have purchased visitor parking passes, the most convenient lots are M200 and M201 (see campus map). Conference parking passes must be purchased prior to arriving on campus. After arrival on campus, single day parking permits are available on campus for $15/day. 

Infant care A private lactation/nursing room is available in ASEC Room 125, on the first floor. 

Smoking TAMUG is a non‐smoking campus.  Banquet The closing banquet and student award ceremony will be held in the Harbor Room at Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood & Grill, 2200 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550. Vegetarian/vegan and allergen‐free options will be available. Admission to the banquet is included in the meeting registration fee.  The banquet location is within walking distances of several hotels in the historic Strand district. Limited validated 3‐hour parking is available in the lot in front of the restaurant. Free or metered street parking can be found within walking distance of the venue. Carpooling is encouraged! https://www.fishermanswharfgalveston.com/