111th Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science PROGRAM and ABSTRACTS March 6–8, 2008 Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas 2008 PROGRAM CHAIR Ray Mathews PROGRAM EDITOR Bob Murphy PROGRAM SPONSOR Texas Parks and Wildlife Department CS BK V3400-477 (2/08) TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 1 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THURSDAY – MARCH 6, 2008 2:00 – 5:00pm TAS Board Meeting University Center Bayview Room 3:00 – 6:00 pm Pre-Conference Check-In/Late Registration University Center Lone Star Concourse 6:00 – 8:00 pm Welcome Mixer University Center Oso Room FRIDAY – MARCH 7, 2008 7:30 am – 9:00 am Conference Check-In/Late Registration University Center Lone Star Concourse 7:30 am – 9:00 am Breakfast/Morning Refreshments University Center Legacy Hall 7:30 am – 7:00 pm Exhibits – Vendor Displays University Center Lone Star Concourse 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Poster Sessions Faculty Center 8:00 am – 10:00 am Paper Sessions/Presentations University Center Center for Instruction Center for the Sciences Harte Research Institute 9:40 am – 10:00 am Mid-Morning Break (Drop In) University Center Legacy Hall 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Lunch University Center Lone Star Ballroom 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Paper Sessions/Presentations University Center Center for Instruction Center for the Sciences Harte Research Institute 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm 2008 Distinguished Texas Scientist (DTS) University Center Lone Star Ballroom 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm DTS Q&A Session – Students Only University Center Lone Star Ballroom 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Mid-Afternoon Break (Drop In) University Center Legacy Hall 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm TAS Business Meeting Center for Instruction Room 138 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm 2008 Outstanding Texas Educator (OTE) Center for Science Room 101 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm OTE Q&A Session – Students Only Center for Science Room 101 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm All Section Chairs Meeting Science & Technology Room 101 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Banquet Reception University Center Legacy Hall 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Awards Banquet University Center Lone Star Ballroom SATURDAY – MARCH 8, 2007 7:30 am – 9:00 am Breakfast/Morning Refreshments Center for Instruction Atrium 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Paper Sessions/Presentations Center for Instruction 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Geology Field Trip Jelly Fish Parking Lot 2 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements from the Program Chair . .4 Letter of Welcome from the TAS President . .5 Letter of Welcome from the Dean, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi . .6 2008 Texas Distinguished Scientist . .7 2008 Outstanding Texas Educator . .8 2008 Texas Academy of Science Fellows and Outstanding Service Award . .9 2007 – 2008 Texas Academy of Science Board of Directors . .10 2007 – 2008 Texas Academy of Science Section Officers . .11 Texas Academy of Science Memorial Tributes . .13 Symposium Overview: Exploration of Estuarine Linkages . .16 2008 Program Agenda . .17 Anthropology . .18 Botany . .18 Cell and Molecular Biology . .19 Chemistry and Biochemistry . .23 Computer Science . .26 Conservation Ecology . .26 Environmental Science . .28 Exploration of Estuarine Linkages Symposium . .30 Freshwater and Marine Science . .32 GeoSciences . .42 Mathematics . .43 Science Education . .43 Systematics and Evolutionary Biology . .45 Terrestrial Ecology and Management . .47 Abstracts . .50 Map of Texas A&M–Corpus Christi . .147 Map of Corpus Christi Area . .148 FUTURE ACADEMY MEETINGS 2009 112th annual meeting . .Texas Tech University Field Station at Junction, Junction, Texas 4 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FROM THE PROGRAM CHAIR As any past Program Chair will tell you, the task of putting together the Annual Program for the Texas Academy of Science is daunting. Before I even started on the work, several of the Past-Presidents offered their condolences, which let me know I was going to face a significant challenge. In meeting with those challenges, there are many people that helped me get to the final product. Dr. Pati Milligan, our webmaster from Baylor University’s Computer Information Systems Department, provided custom features in the MyReview software package that we used for just the second time for abstract submis- sions. Those of you who submitted abstracts did so by uploading them to this software, and it was very helpful for organizing the papers in the various Sections of the Academy by membership type (student or senior member). The papers could then be filtered into different categories for assigning them to sessions, rooms, and times, and alerting judges of those posters or presentations that need to be evaluated for student awards. Dr. Roy Lehman, Local Host, and Crystal Seehorn, Events and Conference Manager, TAMU-CC were very helpful in determining what rooms in the various campus buildings were available for the Annual Meeting sessions, registration, banquet, symposium, and lectures by the Distinguished Texas Scientist and Outstanding Texas Educator among other activities associated with our program. Crystal went through numerous changes with me in the rooms to accommodate the largest meeting the academy has ever had, with 340 abstracts submit- ted, and her patience and work on our behalf is greatly appreciated. Dr. Hudson DeYoe was always there to answer questions about how he approached problems with last year’s program. Dr. Bill Quinn helped provide information on the awards for the program, and gave me information that was necessary for student presenta- tions to be judged. Joseph Kowalski, Center for Subtropical Studies at The University of Texas-Pan American organized an international symposium entitled “Exploration of estuarine linkages: A symposium on physical, chemical, and biological connections on the coastal fringe.” The Academy’s Board of Directors; Dr. Larry McKinney, Director of Coastal Resources for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Dr. Bob Ferguson, Director, and Dr. Wes Tunnell, Associate Director of the Harte Research Institute, combined their resources to provide funding for travel expenses to our Mexican colleagues and internationally recognized invited speakers. The program itself could not be produced without the help of Bob Murphy, Artificial Reef Specialist, and Chris Hunt, Graphic Designer, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Chris has worked on the graphic design for the Academy’s program for eight years, and her expertise is of considerable benefit to those of you who use the program each year to find your way to the various sessions and other activities. Bob Murphy has made a special effort to honor our deceased colleague, Dr. Amir-Moez, Mathematics Professor Emeritus, distin- guished colleague, and benefactor to the Academy for many years through development of a poster in his honor. If it were not for your presentations and posters in numerous scientific disciplines, serving as chairs, vice-chairs, moderators, and judges of the various sessions, the Academy would not function, and I am honored to be of service to such an outstanding group of individuals. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues and administrators with my employer, the Texas Water Development Board, for allowing me the time and resources to work on this program on behalf of the Texas Academy of Science. Ray Mathews TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 5 LETTER OF WELCOME FROM THE TAS PRESIDENT Greetings fellow scientists! For many of you this may be the first (but hopefully not the last!) scientific meeting you attend. Some of you may be anxious about making your first presentation (I still remember my first time!). Since at least 50% of the papers and posters presented at TAS meetings are student-authored, take solace in that you are not alone! TAS prides itself as being a training ground for aspiring scientists. It is here that you can gain personal insight as to your interest and aptitude in science. Take the time to mingle with fellow students and senior scientists from outside your institution. Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum; a big part of science is communicating ideas. You can learn a lot very quickly and have fun at the same time! At the time I am writing this letter (January), there is a move in Texas to incorporate creationism and intelligent design in the science curricula of Texas schools. We, as scientists, are partly responsible for this situation. I think it is the responsibility of scientists not only to educate each other but to educate the public about science as well. In this case, it means doing what we do best, explaining our positions employing a dispassionate, unbiased look at the evidence. Our goal should not be to espouse one view or another, but to separate the wheat from the chaff and to help the public to sort through the issue. Regardless of your beliefs, as a scientist, our goal should be to use, and promote the use of logic and rational, fact-based reasoning. Towards this end, all scientists have an obligation to be scientist-citizens meaning that besides their other duties scientists should regularly reach out to the public by giving public lectures, getting involved in local government, running for the school board, giving time to your local schools, or writing articles for the popular press. Use your talents as scientists to bring clarity of thought to issues, whatever your personal beliefs may be. But don’t be silent. Have a productive and stimulating meeting, Hudson R. DeYoe President 6 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2008 7 2008 DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIST Dr. Ernest L. Lundelius, Jr. Dr. Ernest L. Lundelius, Jr., is descended from a pioneering Central Texas Swedish family. He is a product of Austin public schools, although his mother, a schoolteacher, fostered lifetime learning at home. Fossils and animals have fascinated Dr.