HRI’s Ecosystem Science and Modeling Lab Studies Ocean Acidification Aboard the R/V Pelican

In late October, and then again in December, researchers from our Ecosystem Science and Modeling Lab, as well as researchers and students from Texas A&M University, set sail aboard the R/V Pelican to examine ocean acidification in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, including a portion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

Located about 100 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary spans 17 separate reefs and banks, including thriving shallow-water coral reefs, algal-sponge communities, and deeper reefs full of black coral, octocoral, and other habitats. Together, the reefs create a chain of protected habitats for ecologically and economically important species across the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

The project’s research and analysis thus far have led to a new scientific understanding of how carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, large river runoff and changes in ocean currents are all impacting the coastal environment.

On World Oceans Day, June 8, 2022, the lights went up on HRI’s first “Sea to Screen” Film Festival at Corpus Christi’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. “Sea to Screen”, in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, seeks to both entertain and educate viewers, raising awareness for the importance of our coastal and marine ecosystems and inspire viewers to develop their own stewardship ethic to further protect our coastlines and oceans.

The festival, which will be held annually, gave the sold-out crowd a chance to watch short films from all over the world, along with those made in our backyard here in the Texas Coastal Bend.

Festivalgoers had an opportunity to learn more about the work of HRI and other Texas conservation organizations including the Coastal

Bend Bays and Estuaries program, Texas State Aquarium, Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve.

HRI hopes to build on the first year’s success and allow an even larger audience to attend in June 2023 where we will feature films centered on the world’s fisheries and the importance of these resources.