History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M Universityâ
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Gulf of Mexico Science Volume 28 Article 7 Number 1 Number 1/2 (Combined Issue) 2010 History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi John W. Tunnell Jr. Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi DOI: 10.18785/goms.2801.07 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Tunnell, J. W. Jr. 2010. History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Gulf of Mexico Science 28 (1). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol28/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Tunnell: History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University–C Gulf of Mexico Science, 2010(1–2), pp. 42–55 History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi JOHN W. TUNNELL,JR. INTRODUCTION first 2 yr. Additional staff, including an Associate Director (Dr. Quenton Dokken), a full-time he Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) is a Secretary (Gloria Krause), and a part-time T research center within the College of Business Coordinator (Jeff Foster), were added Science and Technology on the campus of Texas at this time. All were housed in the Center for A&M University–Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). It is Environmental Studies and Services (CESS), located within the Natural Resources Center, a where CCS cooperated and collaborated with multipurpose research and services facility on state and federal natural resource agencies that Ward Island between Corpus Christi and Oso bays fully occupied the facility by July 1990. in Nueces County, TX. CCS was founded by Drs. Simultaneous with the first state funding for Steve Barnes, Brian Chapman, and me in Sep- CCS, the Texas legislature allocated $10 million to tember 1984 as TAMU-CC’s first scientific re- build a new 100,000–square foot CESS building search center. The original mission of CCS was to on the west side of campus; this came about as a provide an administrative unit within the College result of the successful cooperation and collabo- of Science and Technology to manage coastal and ration of CCS with other agencies dealing with the marine ecosystem research and contract work for Texas coast on environmental issues. When it faculty and graduate students. The geographic opened in June 1996, the new facility, renamed region of focus was primarily the Texas Coastal the Natural Resources Center (NRC), housed 19 Bend (Fig. 1), Padre Island, and the Laguna different State of Texas, TAMU-CC, and Texas Madre, but it also included the entire Texas coast A&M University System entities dealing with and the broader Gulf of Mexico. coastal and environmental issues. From the beginning, researchers always invited graduate students to participate in their research Research and operations history.—The first full-time projects, recognizing that hands-on research Research Scientist hired at CCS (Dr. Roy Leh- experience would serve graduates best in their man) started in 1993, but when he accepted a future careers or further graduate studies. faculty position the following year, Drs. Liz Smith Hands-on fieldwork experience and opportuni- (1994) and Kim Withers (1995) each accepted 9- ties for graduate students (and later for under- mo positions at 1/2-time to help ‘‘launch’’ CCS graduate students) became a hallmark of CCS into full-time activity. Both Smith and Withers research. Early studies during the 1980s primar- had received degrees at TAMU-CC and were ily involved coastal ecological studies and water strong believers in the hands-on, field-oriented quality monitoring conducted for state and model. A full-time business coordinator (Dawn federal agencies in the region and on campus. Bennett) and a full-time Operations Manager CCS did not receive university or state support (Brien Nicolau) were also added to the CCS staff funding during its first 8 yr of operation—other when the new NRC building opened. In addi- than an initial $4,000 start-up grant from univer- tion, a cooperative agreement was established to sity President Dr. B. Alan Sugg, 1/4–release-time house the Corpus Christi Ecotoxicology Field for me to serve as its Director, and a fraction of Station of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS; one secretary’s time (Fran Trevin˜o). CCS main- previously occupying part of the old CESS tained an office in the Center for Sciences 1 d per building) within CCS facilities in the NRC. This week during the first 6 yr and 1.5–2 d per week latter arrangement added one additional ‘‘soft when it was moved to the Old Science Building money’’ CCS Research Scientist position (filled (renamed the Center for Environmental Studies by Dr. Marion Nipper) in collaboration with the and Services) in January 1990. USGS. In FY 1992, the State of Texas recognized CCS Research focus areas flourished along the lines and awarded Special Item Funding for the first of the five research scientists (including the time. Although $200,000 per year of the bienni- Director and Associate Director) and one Re- um was approved, only $150,000 and $179,000, search Associate (the Operations Manager, respectively, were received annually during the Nicolau) in CCS and included coastal and coral E 2010 by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of Alabama Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 2010 1 Gulf of Mexico Science, Vol. 28 [2010], No. 1, Art. 7 TUNNELL—HISTORY OF THE CENTER FOR COASTAL STUDIES 43 Fig. 1. Map of the Texas Coastal Bend, primary geographic focus area for CCS research. reef ecology, molluscan studies, artificial reef given to TAMU-CC in September 2000, and my ecology, wetlands ecology, conservation science/ subsequent joint appointment as Associate Di- Geographic Information System (GIS), benthic rector of HRI significantly affected the manage- ecology, shorebird ecology, water and sediment ment and research efforts/production of CCS quality monitoring, and marine ecotoxicology. during FY 2002 through 2005. In addition, two Two Physical and Life Sciences Department CCS research scientists (Smith and Dokken) had (now the Department of Life Sciences) faculty increasing administrative duties during this time, members (Drs. Roy Lehman and Joanna Mott) thereby decreasing their research activity. This consistently used CCS to manage their grants as circumstance required a temporary involvement research associates in the study areas of estuarine of CCS staff while HRI was being planned and and marine microbiology, bacterial source track- developed. Dr. David Hicks joined CCS as ing, antibiotic resistance, and pulse field gel Research Scientist during FY 2002–03, assisting electrophoresis. Several other College of Science me with teaching and research as well as and Technology faculty (Drs. Grady Price- developing a research program in invertebrate Blount, Stacey Lyle, David McKee, and Robert physiological ecology. Erin (Albert) Hill and Benson) used CCS for some of their grants and Alex Nun˜ez, TAMU-CC M.S. graduates, were contracts. hired as research specialists during this time The gift endowment of the Harte Research frame to assist with the Nueces Delta Monitor- Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies was ing/Allison Wastewater Diversion projects and https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol28/iss1/7 2 DOI: 10.18785/goms.2801.07 Tunnell: History of the Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University–C 44 GULF OF MEXICO SCIENCE, 2010, VOL. 28(1–2) Fig. 2. Benthic sampling in Nueces Delta, a long-term study area for CCS research (Photo by Brien Nicolau). Regional Coastal Assessment Program, respec- over. The new state institution, Texas A&I Univer- tively (Fig. 2). Numerous other graduates, in- sity at Corpus Christi, became a part of the cluding Susan Childs, Suzanne Bates, Carl University System of South Texas and began as an Beaver, and Leslie Smith, initiated their scientific upper-level (junior, senior, and graduate only) careers working at CCS. university in 1973. As a result of the name HRI was temporarily ‘‘housed’’ within the CCS confusion associated with the long-standing Texas facilities from September 2001 to November A&I University at Kingsville, the Corpus Christi 2005 while the institute concept was being campus changed its name to Corpus Christi State developed and the HRI building was being University in 1977. Both campuses became a part of constructed. the Texas A&M University System in 1989, and the Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi name was Campus history.—TAMU-CC started on the 243- adopted in 1993. TAMU-CC then became a 4-yr, acre Ward Island campus in 1947 as the comprehensive university in 1994. With the name University of Corpus Christi. This small liberal change; a new, development-minded president arts university, a part of the Southern Baptist (Dr. Robert Furgason); and its 4-yr status, TAMU- Convention, was born after World War II with CC began a dramatic, explosive growth phase, the sale of the island for $1 (as the story goes) to growing from 3,000 students in 1990 to 9,600 start the new university at the no-longer-needed students in 2010. In addition, research increased radar training station. The young school was from $500,000 in 1990 to over $20 million in 2010. operated out of the old naval facilities for years The campus infrastructure grew with the infusion with some new buildings added over time. of over $300 million during this time frame. In 1970, Hurricane Celia almost completely destroyed the island’s infrastructure, and, since it MARINE SCIENCE HISTORY had already been damaged by previous hurricanes (Carla in 1962 and Beulah in 1967), the Baptists Marine science was first introduced to the decided to give it up, and the State of Texas took it campus in 1957, when Dr.