Conservation & Biodiversity

See What's New

We provide quantitative tools and new science-based information to guide managers and policy makers on conservation decisions involving waterbirds and coastal ecosystems.

Waterbirds are iconic species for the Gulf of Mexico. They connect freshwater wetlands, coastal marshes, and marine ecosystems, the very places that people enjoy for recreation and depend on for jobs. Research in the Conservation and Biodiversity Lab supports managers and policy-makers charged with sustaining the coastal interface of the Gulf of Mexico and its iconic bird species. Our expertise is strong in waterbird ecology and conservation, ecosystem restoration, and in developing bird monitoring programs for aquatic ecosystem management. Our research questions focus on predicting the response of birds to different elements of their nesting and feeding habitat. Our recent work has focused on coastal habitat modeling, the management and rehabilitation of waterbird colony islands, and the use of drones as a new tool to effectively monitor waterbird colonies. .

What's New

News

16 Oct 2024

Post

by Len Hayward

Sooty Terns Establish Small Nesting Colony in Corpus Christi Bay, Marking a Rare Texas Find

Aerial image of nesting waterbirds in Texas bay

28 Aug 2024

External Source

from KIII 3 News

Birds of a Weather: Observing Re-nesting After Storms

broken nest structures on bird island after Tropical Storm Alberto

27 Aug 2024

Press Release

by Len Hayward

Rapid Assessment Report Highlights Resiliency of Texas’ Coastal Waterbirds After Tropical Weather

Events

05Dec2024

Seminar

by Conservation & Biodiversity

Dissertation Proposal Seminar - Rostam Mirzadi

Globally, 55% of waterbirds are declining, with 51% of waterbird species declining in the western hemisphere. The loss of breeding habitat is of particular concern, especially for colonial waterbird species that depend on islands for colony-sites. However, managers are limited in their ability to implement restoration or other conservation plans because of a lack of understanding of how island characteristics affect key demographic parameters such as nest survival or brood size. Therefore, this study proposes to measure nest survival and productivity of five species of colonial waterbirds that nest on the Texas coast.

Our Work

Project by

Conservation & Biodiversity

Colony Island Network Design and Implementation (CINDI): A Prioritization Tool to Rehabilitate Colony Islands Along the Texas Coast

Aerial view of a rookery island in Texas

Project by

Conservation & Biodiversity

Rookery Island Productivity for Priority Waterbird Species

aerial view of colonial waterbird nesting colony

Project by

Conservation & Biodiversity

Colony Island Network Design and Implementation (CINDI) to Recover Waterbirds in the Gulf of Mexico: Pilot Study

The use of drone footage allow researchers to gain valuable images of waterbird colonies for analysis with very minimal disturbance

Master’s student Rostam Mirzadi sets up a game camera in front of a nest of Snowy Egrets. Cameras are used to monitor parental attendance and feeding frequency with minimal disturbance to the nesting birds.

Dr. Gawlik and student researchers doing field work by airboat in the Upper Laguna Madre

Conservation & Biodiversity researcher Dr. David Essian presented at the 2022 Waterbird Society Conference held in Corpus Christi.

Forage fish that are sampled from the marsh are brought back to the lab for sorting and analysis

Nesting bird surveys performed in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy and Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. MS student Ro Mirzadi pilots a drone to obtain footage of colonies for counting.

The Conservation and Biodiversity Lab conducts routine bird surveys to track the presence, quantity, and variety of avian species within Pita Island and the broader Laguna Madre region.

Participants of the 2022 Waterbird Society Conference on a birdwatching field trip to the King Ranch.

Aerial image of nesting Great Blue Herons and constructed nest platforms.

Dr. Dale Gawlik holds a wild Great Egret for banding and sampling

Drone footage assists with nesting waterbird colony surveys on Shamrock Island. Drone surveys have shown minimal disturbance to the colonies while providing very accurate counts of nests.

Dr. Gawlik and doctoral student Antonio Cantu analyze spoil island vegetation

Colonial nesting waterbirds on a spoil island in the Upper Laguna Madre

Forster's Tern

Dale Gawlik, Ph.D.

HRI Chair for Conservation and Biodiversity

Our People

Chair for Conservation & Biodiversity Dr. Dale Gawlik leads a team of students and researchers in developing new tools and data to help understand the coastal habitats that sustain important bird populations. Meet his team: