The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

We’re Hiring! Small Boat Operator – Port Aransas, TX 🌊🚤

The Small Boat Operator will safely operate and maintain small vessels used in scientific fieldwork—transporting personnel, equipment, and assisting with sampling.

Apply now: tinyurl.com/4nkz6crh

You may have noticed a surge in jellyfish lately. While populations appear to be rising, their gelatinous bodies and drifting nature make them notoriously difficult to track. That’s where science steps in. A new instrument on the UTMSI research pier can record smaller stages of jellyfish. 📷 Herzka

Big news! Since 1974, we've been educating K–12 students & visitors. Now, with SEA, we’re expanding our reach with a mobile classroom—bringing ocean learning directly to Coastal Bend schools and festivals. Thank you, SEA, for your continued support and congrats on 25 yrs!

Fast Solutions for an Urgent Problem - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. Genetic Identification for the Protection of Sharks and Rays Rapid genetic testing is emerging as a powerful ally in monitoring and protecting shark and ray populations from the black-market wildlife…

🦈 Fast Solutions for an Urgent Problem - PhD student Ingrid Bunholi's new paper on the use of rapid genetic testing in shark & ray conservation. An e-book is coming soon 👉 utmsi.utexas.edu/fast-solutio...
📷 Erika Beux #Shark #TexasScience #eDNA #UTMSI #Genetics #CaseyLab

In honor of National Campus Safety Awareness Month, we thank the Port Aransas Police, EMS & Fire Dept. for joining us, and Jim Moreno for leading the program. Together, we strengthened campus safety & preparedness.

#CampusSafety #CommunityPartners #PortAransas

Bob and Kevin are back in action! Yesterday, a 2nd Sofar buoy "Kevin" was deployed at West Flower Garden Bank by FGBNMS scientists. The Hu Lab will use the data from both Kevin and Bob to monitor the environmental health of the coral reefs.🔹 Meet Kevin: spotters.sofarocean.com/historical/S...
#UTMSI

Join researchers from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) as they capture stunning high-resolution imagery of plankton using the In-Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System Deep-Focus… In with the tide | UTMSI Sunrise fieldwork

Join researchers from #UTMSI as they capture stunning high-res imagery of plankton using an advanced shadowgraph-based system that continuously collects images of fish larvae, jellies, amphipods, and other planktonic organisms in their natural environment.

The long journey to an estuary - Port Aransas South Jetty When parents are looking for infant daycare or primary school for their kids, it must be as perfect as possible. However, there needs to be a reconciliation between perfection and reality when it…

🐟🌊 Less than 1% of baby fish survive past the larval stage. PhD student Juan Pablo Lozano-Peña is studying how rock pools at the Port Aransas jetty help them find shelter on their journey to estuaries.

Read more: www.portasouthjetty.com/articles/the...

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Caitlin Neill 🌟

Research Tech in the Nielsen Lab, “Drip Master” of Solid Phase Extraction, and lifelong learner. Outside the lab, she enjoys sewing, crocheting, music & softball. If she were a marine organism? A Christmas Tree Worm!

📷: Izzy Nelson

#UTMSI #StaffSpotlight

On Aug 22, the GSA hosted the 1st MSI Graduate Student Symposium at the Patton Center with 9 presenters from Integrative Biology & Chemistry. Thanks to the College of Natural Sciences , MSI Director Sharon Herzka, UTMSI GSA & Student Services Budget Committee for support!

In the past year, ARK at UTMSI cared for 1,204 animals — including 574 sea turtles, hundreds of birds, and a few freshwater turtles. 🦅🐢

Sea Turtle Hotline: 1-866-TURTLE5
Bird Hotline: (361) 749-6793

📷 Big Kahunas, a loggerhead sea turtle, released Oct.

Gaining insight through entrails - Port Aransas South Jetty Deep in the collections of the Museo Gregoria-no Etrusco of Vatican City hangs a bronze mirror that, through my work in our Texas estuaries, has taken on a new personal meaning. The mirror was cast…

Institute Insights: Gaining insight through entrails 🐟🔬

David Malcolm dissects fish guts to study estuarine food webs, revealing how environmental shifts ripple through the food chain—like modern-day haruspicy.

www.portasouthjetty.com/articles/gai...

📷: David Malcolm

#UTMSI #InstituteInsights

🎓 Big congrats to our newest Master's grad, Kody Barone!

His research explored how mangrove dieback from the 2021 freeze impacts blue carbon storage in South Texas marshes—highlighting the resilience of soil carbon in coastal wetlands.

#UTMSI #BlueCarbon #Mangroves #TexasScience

Being a scientist has its benefits, especially when it’s 100F+ in Texas. The Nielsen Lab and USGS colleagues are enjoying cooler weather while sampling at Grewingk Glacier in Alaska to learn about the sources, export, fate, and bioavailability of #mercury released by rapidly retreating glaciers.

When Hanging Out Takes Work - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. Often, scientific research confirms what scientists already suspected, but other times, science reveals a twist that no one saw coming. That’s the kind of study that recently showed how much […]

Science and the Sea: When Hanging Out Takes Work 🐠

Hovering in place isn’t easy—fish can burn twice the energy staying still midwater vs. resting on the bottom!

utmsi.utexas.edu/science-and-...

📷 Philippe Bourjon, CC BY-SA 4.0

#ScienceAndTheSea #UTMSI #FishFacts #TexasScience

🎬 Just days away! Join us Friday, Aug 1 | 2–3:30 PM at the Patton Center for a free screening of Our Texas, Our Future, an @HEB docuseries celebrating Texas’ natural beauty. 🌿

Info: utmsi.utexas.edu/event/h-e-b-...

#OurTexasOurFuture #HEB #UTMSI #TexasScience

Kelly Dorgan will join UT's cohort for the 2025-2026 Research Leaders Academy. Congrats Kelly!
research.utexas.edu/news/new-coh...

Bad weather or bad clothing? - Port Aransas South Jetty I hold firmly to the Scandinavian belief that (barring extreme weather events) “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” I often find myself employing this saying when justifying to…

❄️ Institute Insights: Arctic lagoons through snow, ice & t-shirt weather?

Mathea Kurtz-Shaw shares what it’s like to do fieldwork across 3 extreme Arctic seasons.

Read more: www.portasouthjetty.com/articles/bad...

#InstituteInsights #UTMSI #ArcticResearch #TexasScience

Assist Scientists in Understanding More About the Elusive Freckled Guitarfish - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. The Freckled Guitarfish (Pseudobatos lentiginosus) is a small, bottom-dwelling ray native to the Gulf and western North Atlantic. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, we still know very little about […]

🎣 Caught a Freckled Guitarfish in the Gulf? Help science!
Report your catch & support research on this unique species.
Learn how ➡️ utmsi.utexas.edu/assist-scien...
#FreckledGuitarfish #UTMSI #CommunityScience #TexasScience

The latest edition of our newsletter is here! 🤿 Dive into updates, behind-the-scenes stories, research discoveries, and the exciting work happening at the UT Marine Science Institute 🔗 indd.adobe.com/view/33a38a8...
#Newsletter #MarineScience #TexasScience #UTMSI

From Classroom to Coastline! 🌊🌱Thirteen educators explored coastal science at the July 7–9 TOTE Workshop in Port Aransas, hosted by Mission-Aransas NERR. Hands-on fieldwork and NOAA resources will help them bring estuary science to their classrooms.

#TOTEWorkshop #MissionAransasNERR #UTMSI

The Not-So-Rare Giant Crustacean - Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. Sometimes we consider a species rare because it truly is, whether because it’s endangered or simply because it naturally has sparse populations. But other times, a species may only appear […]

Science and the Sea: The Not-So-Rare Giant Crustacean 🦐 At over 13", Alicella gigantea is the largest amphipod on Earth—and possibly not as rare as once thought. utmsi.utexas.edu/science-and-...

📷 Alan Jamieson, CC BY-SA 4.0

#ScienceAndTheSea #UTMSI #AlicellaGigantea #TexasScience #DeepSea

Post-Fourth of July Beach Cleanup at Port Aransas South Jetty, July 12, 9 AM–12 PM. Stop by anytime to help keep our coast clean. Supplies provided. Hosted by the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve & UTMSI.

Details: www.utmsi.utexas.edu/event/post-fourth-of-july-beach-cleanup/

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Hannah Rempel on receiving a grant from the International Women's Fishing Association Scholarship Trust in support of her research on the impact of pollutants on reef fishes. 🐠

#Congratulations #IWFA #UTMSI #TexasScience

🎬 Join us for Our Texas, Our Future—a free H-E-B docuseries screening celebrating Texas' beauty & conservation heroes!

utmsi.utexas.edu/event/h-e-b-...

#OurTexasOurFuture #HEB #UTMSI #TexasScience

The campus, including the Patton Center, is closed on Friday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. We’ll resume normal hours on Saturday, July 5 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).

Have a safe and happy Fourth! 🇺🇸

#UTMSI #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #PortAransas

UT Summer Science has concluded after three impactful weeks in Port Aransas. Students engaged in snorkeling, fishing, marine technology, and fieldwork.

Thanks to our sponsors and partners!

More programs: utmsi.utexas.edu

Staff Spotlight: Maggie Weston 🌟

Maggie is the Education Assistant at the Bay Education Center in Rockport. She leads engaging programs like Science On a Sphere & loves sharing marine science with the next generation.

#UTMSI #StaffSpotlight #TexasScience #ScienceEducation

A vulnerable underground world - Port Aransas South Jetty I wake up to the smell of salty sea air, sunscreen, and freshly brewed coffee. Morning light spills through the windows, illuminating the pile of gear at the foot of my bed: swimmy, rash guard,…

Institute Insights: A vulnerable underwater world

Zoe Ruben of MANERR takes us into the field to explore the beauty and fragility of coral reefs—and why their conservation starts with education.

www.portasouthjetty.com/articles/a-v...

📷: Keisha Bahr

The Campus, including the Patton Center, is closed in observance of Juneteenth. We'll resume normal hours tomorrow and be open (10am-4pm).