New Wave Media

 

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation (CSSC) has received $10,000 from the 2015 Rotary Club of Corpus Christi Harvey Weil Sportsman Conservationist Award to continue research into Texas’ multibillion dollar sport-fish industry throughout the state. 

 

Dr. Greg Stunz, Director of CSSC and Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health at the Harte Research Institute, said “This project allows us to continue vital research into managing one of Texas’ most important fisheries and will result in increased opportunities for recreational anglers by providing better data to keep this population sustainable.”

 

The project will examine estuarine sport-fish, such as the Spotted Seatrout, movement patterns and habitat use through the newly restored and reopened Cedar Bayou tidal inlet near Rockport, Texas using state-of-the-art acoustic tracking techniques.

 

The CSSC, a center within the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies located at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, uses field-based research and laboratory experiments to further understand the Gulf ecosystem, the distribution of marine life, and the value of habitat for marine organisms. The mission of HRI is to support and advance the long-term sustainable use and conservation of resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

This project will deploy acoustic receivers in strategic locations in Mesquite Bay and around Cedar Bayou that build upon our existing Texas Acoustic Array Network (TEXAAN).