Monday, May 12
Tony Amos - Thirty Years of Weed Watching
- founded the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas for injured sea turtles and shorebirds
Dr. Richard Watson - Good and Bad Beach Maintenance on an Eroding Shoreline
- Consulting Geologist
- received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas
- 40 years of experience on the Texas coast
- expert on waves, beaches, tidal inlets, and Texas coastal history
Dr. Kim Withers - Effects of Beach Raking on Invertebrate Infauna
- Research Scientist at the Center for Coastal Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
- received her Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries from Texas A&M University-College Station
- studies invertebrates and shorebirds
Amy Williams - Sargassum as a Fertilizer for Panicum Amarum
- Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University-College Station
Rob Conti - Sargassum Beach Maintenance in Nueces County, 2007, Effects on Beach Morphology
- geologist for the General Land Office
- works with Nueces County and the Cities of Corpus Christi and Port Aransas
Dr. Gary Jeffress - Sea Level Rise Along the Texas Coast
- Director of the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Dr. Joe Fox - Alternative Uses of Sargassum
- Aquatic Nutritionist at Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Dr. Tom Shirley - The Sargassum Community
- Chair of Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
- Former Padre Island National Seashore Ranger
- Conducted thesis research on Padre Island
Dr. Ian MacDonald - Satellite Imagery of Sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico
- Oceanographer with Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
- received his Ph.D. in 1990 from Texas A&M University-College Station
- has been at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi since 2002
Mike McCutchon - Corpus Christi City Council, Place 4
Chuck Cazalas - Nueces County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Nick Meyer - Fishing the Weed from the Beach
Buddy Stanley - Fishing the "weed lines" in the Gulf of Mexico
- 31 years as an environmental regulatory official
- 13 years as the local regional director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (now retired)
- President of the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation
- first and foremost a fisherman
Dr. Les Bender - Texas Automated Buoy System
- Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University-College Station
Keith Arnold - Tourism, Eco-Tourism, and Sargassum
- CEO, Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mark Biel - Beach Maintenance at the Padre Island National Seashore
- currently acting Chief of Science and Resources Management at the Padre Island National Seashore
- been at Padre Island National Seashore for two years
- involved in most aspects of resource management
- jack of all trades, master of none
Jennifer Smith-Engle - Cultural Preferences, Environmental Values, and the Sargassum Debate
- Professor of Environmental Science and Geology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
- been at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for 25 years
- coordinator of the Environmental Science Program
- consultant to Nueces County Dune Protection
- expert in coastal geology and coastal management
Crista Stubblefield - Trophic Effects of Beach-cast Wrack Removal on Swash Zone Communities
- graduate student at the University of Texas-Brownsville
- also did her undergraduate work at University of Texas-Brownsville
- is doing her thesis work with Dr. David Hicks
Capt. Robert Webster - A Quantitative Investigation of the Role Sargassum Accumulation Plays in Inhibiting Sand Erosion on Galveston Island's West-end Beaches
- Research Assistant at the Coastal Geology Lab at Texas A&M University-Galveston
- Research Vessel Captain
- working on his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on the topic of beach erosion on the upper Texas coast
Tuesday, May 13
Nelda Martinez - Corpus Christi City Council, At Large
Sally Gavlik - City of Corpus Christi Beach Operations
- Director of Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department
- has been director for 4 years
Blake Pettis - Sargassum and Sand Management on Nueces County Beaches
- Nueces County Parks and Recreation Department
- with the county for 19 years
Lou Muller - City of Galveston
Lois Huff - Coastal Bend Bays Foundation
Lee Crowder - Galveston County Beach Maintenance
- Manager, Galveston County Road and Bridge Department
David Parsons - Sargassum Management in Port Aransas
- Planning and Projects Manager for the City of Port Aransas
- oversees the Coastal Management Plan for the city
- B.S. in Geology from Redford University
- was the Coastal Zone Manager for the Cordova, Alaska District for 5 years
Javier Mendez - Cameron County Beach Management Practices
- Park Director for the Cameron County Parks Department
- has been employed with Cameron County for 20 years
Dewey Cashwell - South Padre Beach Management
- City Manager of the Town of South Padre for six years
- 30 years in local government
- in a prior life was an education specialist for the Sea Grant advisory in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana
Chris Kelly - Barber Beach Cleaning Equipment
John Torrey - Seaweed Solutions
- Captain Hook Services and Beach Cleaning Equipment
Scott Merril - BeachTech Beach Cleaning Equipment
Beau Rawlins - Beach Cleaning Services Inc, Galveston Island
- graduate of Texas Cristian University
Wednesday, May 14
Jennifer Appel - Finished Biological Compost for Vegetation Establishment
Texas General Land Office Perspective
US Army Corps of Engineers Perspective
City of Corpus Christi Perspective
City of Port Aransas Perspective
Town of South Padre Perspective
US Fish & Wildlife Service Perspective
Nueces County Perspective
Round Table Discussion
