Movement Ecology Lab

Thanks to the Majoris Lab, TPWD and the McCracken Lab for photos and videos!!! #TAMUCC

Texas examples:
• Regal Damselfish (Neopomacentrus cyanomos) — non-native, potentially invasive
• Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) — invasive
• Tilapia — invasive
• Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) — invasive
• Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) — invasive

What is an invasive species?

An invasive species is a non-native organism that causes (or is likely to cause) economic, environmental, or human health harm.

Not all non-native species are invasive! The key difference is measurable harm.

Although International Day of Women and Girls in Science was last week, we want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding women in our lab 🔬🥼🧪

Thank you for the impact you make ✨

#WomenInSTEM #TAMUCC #internationalwomenandgirlsinscienceday #research

This week our team got out into the field to download our Aransas Bay acoustic receiver array. This data will be used by both PhD student Jaz and MS student Katie for their projects tracking the movement of flounder, sharks, and rays. Thanks to TPWD for their support! #TAMUCC

To complete our research along the Texas Coast, these are helpful skills for collecting data, analyzing it, and reporting it to the public! We have a variety of projects that require different jobs from us, so these are just a few of the ways we do that!🎣🦈🤿 #TAMUCC

#tamucc #fishresearch #dietanalysis

Understanding marine predators’ diets helps reveal their foraging, trophic roles, niches, and habitat use. Researchers use various methods—none are perfect, but all give valuable insights 🧪🔬

For more information on how to participate, volunteer opportunities, or program guidelines, please contact your local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries office @texasparkswildlife

#TAMUCC #STEM #Research #Fieldwork #volunteer

📍 Drop-Off Locations
Aransas Bay
• Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp

Corpus Christi Bay
• South Conn Brown Harbor Public Boat Ramp
• Ransom Channel Public Ramp

Upper Laguna Madre
• Kaufer–Hubert Memorial Boat Ramp

2026 Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program 🦀♻️
February 20 – March 1, 2026

The Annual Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program helps reduce ghost fishing, improve water quality, and protect coastal habitats by removing lost or abandoned crab traps from Texas bays.

The Movement Ecology Lab kicked off 2026 at the TCAFS meeting in Galveston, TX!

Cali & Jaz presented posters; Katie, Kimber & Kyle gave oral talks. Congrats to Yamilla & Kimber (Harry Tennison Student Scholarship) and Katie (TCAFS Student Travel Award)! 👏 #TAMUCC

Friendly reminder as flounder season in Texas is open again: if you catch a tagged fish, please report 😊 #flounder #texas #tamucc #fishresearch

@cerfscience.bsky.social @amfisheriessoc.bsky.social

Call for papers! Estuaries and Coasts special collection on estuarine connectivity & management 🌊📄

🗓 Due June 1, 2026

Biofouling: the ocean’s way of dirtying up our gear 🌊 

Before deploying our acoustic receivers, we wrap parts with electrical tape to make it easier to clean off barnacles and algae later. A small step that saves time, protects equipment, and keeps our long-term monitoring running smoothly #TAMUCC

We’re excited to welcome three undergraduate students joining the Movement Ecology Lab this semester to assist MS student Kyle with his shark depredation research. Welcome Macie, Grace, and Mason! #tamucc

#nationalscientificdivingday #TAMUCC #scuba #research

Happy National Scientific Diving Day! Our lab’s incredible divers use their AAUS skills to conduct underwater field work like catching invasive lionfish and out-planting receivers! 🤿

We had a great time at the annual CCA Poco Rojo Kids Fishing Tournament this past Saturday! Thank you to @cca_texas for allowing us to share our research with the community! 🎣 #TAMUCC #outreach

We study movement and trophic ecology of mobile fishes, shark depredation, and estuarine habitats using tagging, biologging, video, and stable isotopes 🔬🎣🔊

We are the Movement Ecology Lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, providing evidence-based solutions through stakeholder collaboration and training future researchers 🧪🐟🦈 #tamucc

We study movement and trophic ecology of mobile fishes, shark depredation, and estuarine habitats using tagging, biologging, video, and stable isotopes 🎣 🔊 🧪

We study movement and trophic ecology of mobile fishes, shark depredation, and estuarine habitats using tagging, biologging, video, and stable isotopes 🔊🧪🎥

Texas Southern Flounder Closure: November 1 – December 14 🚫🎣
During this period, no southern flounder may be harvested by any method, including gigging or rod and reel.

Happy Halloween! Did you know that while fish have skeletons of bones, the skeletons of sharks are made entirely of cartilage, the same material that makes up our noses and ears! This lighter and flexible material allows sharks to be more energy-efficient and agile swimmers 🦈 #TAMUCC

Ever wonder what tools we use to study movement ecology? Acoustic transmitters (internal tags to track fish) and receivers (underwater listening device), VR100 and hydrophone, salinity loggers, GoPros, and microscopes are some tools that help us uncover the ecology of fish 🐟🔊🔬 #TAMUCC

Researching fish isn't always about being on the water. Lab work can be just as exciting! PhD candidate Yamilla Samara is using compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids of carbon to study red drum, spotted seatrout, sheepshead resource use at estuarine habitats 🦪🐟🌱 #TAMUCC