Fieldtrip Descriptions and Comfort Measures (Please note: All field trips will last
between 5-7 hours, with most being 6 hours in length).
1.
Artist Boat: Kayak Trip to Drum Bay
This kayak trip will begin with a drive across the San Luis Pass Bridge and along the Bluewater
Highway, with spectacular views of the scenic barrier island coastline. Once you reach the
Christmas Bay kayak launching point, you will begin the four-hour tour through water to Drum
Bay. The trip will include: paddle instruction, wildlife viewing, interpretation of the natural
environment, and an application of artists’ watercolors to interpret the environment. All guides
hold degrees in marine biology, and are American Canoe Association certified kayak guides and
certified interpretive guides through the National Association of Interpretation.
Drum bay is a small, tertiary bay located west of Christmas Bay, the central body of a three bay
complex that also includes Baystrop Bay. Drum Bay is the smallest of this three-bay complex, with
an average depth of 1.1 feet. Drum Bay is a dead-end bay and is only flushed by tidal actions and
winds. This lack of flow can cause nutrients to be trapped in the bay, making it very productive.
The constricted opening to Drum Bay also creates a current during tidal exchanges, which fosters
the growth of oyster reefs. The shallow water and distance from a freshwater source allows for
large temperature and salinity changes (http://gbic.tamug.edu/gbeppubs/7/gbnep_7_04-08.pdf).
Drum Bay hosts many magnificent rookery islands supporting reddish egrets, great blue herons,
roseate spoonbills, tricolor herons, white ibis, and many species of terns. These rookery islands are
an easy 20-minute paddle from shore. Drift slowly and witness long legged waders raising chicks
in the spring and roosting the rest of the year.
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: sunscreen; a water bottle; hat; water
shoes or walking shoes; insect repellent; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone to sunburn; swim
gear; change of clothes; and excitement for art and kayaking. Prepare to get wet and muddy.
Restroom access is limited.
http://www.artistboat.org/
2.
NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: National
Marine Fisheries, Sea Turtle Hatchery, and Texas Marine Mammal
Stranding Network
Take a trip in the world of NOAA scientists. Begin the NOAA trip by experiencing science on the
water aboard the R/V Manta, a working research vessel. Collect plankton and water samples in
Galveston Bay and learn to identify plankton species that are associated with harmful algal blooms.
Then, analyze your water samples using the same parameters employed by ocean scientists to
compare results between samples from the upper bay and the lower bay systems.
After disembarking, visit the NOAA Campus where the offices of Flower Garden Banks National
Marine Sanctuary and National Marine Fisheries Service are co-located. See spectacular footage
from the coral reefs of the sanctuary, 115 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Then, tour
the turtle hatchery, where baby loggerhead sea turtles are nurtured through their early years to
increase the overall survival rate, and discover how the turtles serve science before they are released
into the wild. Explore the place where stranded marine mammals are taken for rehabilitation, and
find out why scientists perform necropsies on the animals that do not survive.
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: sunscreen; insect repellent; a water
bottle; hat; closed-toe water shoes or walking shoes; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone to
sunburn.
http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/
3.
Galveston History Snapshots
Bring your cameras for this colorful combination of Galveston history and urban ecology.
Beginning with a trip aboard Galveston’s amphibious touring vehicle, the “Duck,” travel along the
Seawall and into Offatt’s Bayou, which was created by dredging after the Great Storm of 1900.
Emerge from the water in downtown Galveston.
At Pier 21, you will board the Seagull II for a trip through Galveston Channel with a marine
biologist as your guide, pulling a plankton tow and a trawl to learn what is beneath the surface.
This trip offers an amazing juxtaposition of man-made machine giants and natural beauty.
Enjoy the “Green Revival Walking Tour” with the Galveston Historical Foundation guide to point
out the eco-friendly features of Victorian Era homes, as well as restorations that occurred since
Hurricane Ike in 2008. Visit the Texas Seaport Museum and board the tall ship, Elissa, to gain the
historical perspective (Pirate Jean Lafitte, Civil War battles, hurricanes, cotton and bananas) of the
maritime and shipping industry.
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: sunscreen; a water bottle; hat; water
shoes or walking shoes; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone to sunburn.
http://www.galvestonhistory.org/
4.
Galveston Island State Park Service Project: Beach and Bay Habitat
Restoration
Surf, sand, sun, and fun! Get wet, seine, beach comb and experience Galveston Bay and the Gulf of
Mexico up close and first hand. Join the Galveston Bay Area Master Naturalists and Texas Sea
Grant to explore the diverse and unique ecosystems of Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico at
Galveston Island State Park. Learn how wind and solar energy are used to power the Park’s Nature
Center. Collect sea shells and identify sea turtle tracks in the sand.
Be a valuable contributor to Galveston Island’s recovery from Hurricane Ike, which struck the
island on September 13, 2008. Roll up your sleeves and work to restore dune and prairie habitats.
Who are the Texas Master Naturalists? They are trained volunteers dedicated to the natural
resource restoration and education. Learn how their determination and hard work led to reopening
Galveston Island State Park after Hurricane Ike in an unexpectedly short time frame.
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: sunscreen; a water bottle; hat; water
shoes or walking shoes (closed toe shoes that can get wet and muddy); old clothes that can get wet,
muddy and sandy; insect repellent; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone to sunburn;
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/galveston/
5.
Moody Gardens Aquarium: Seining for exhibits and behind-the-scenes
Join the biologists from the Aquarium at Moody Gardens and discover what happens behind the
scenes! The day will begin with two collecting trips – one on the beach and one on the bay.
Biologists will teach participants how to pull seine nets and lead them as they collect and identify
specimens. Learn about quarantine and life support and their importance in preparing captured
specimens for exhibit. After seining, participants will visit the Aquarium Pyramid where the
biologists will take them on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Aquarium. Participants will have the
opportunity to see what it takes to run a 1.5 million gallon facility and meet some of its residents.
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: a water bottle; hat; water shoes or
walking shoes (closed toes and non-slip); clothes that can get wet and dirty; sunscreen; insect
repellent; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone to sunburn;
http://www.moodygardens.com/
6.
Texas A&M University at Galveston: Sharks, Crabs, and Diving
This 3-D hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of sharks as you discover, dissect
and distinguish. Discover the differences between cartilaginous and bony fishes. Dissect a dogfish
shark and examine the stomach contents, the heart, and the eye. Distinguish characteristics of many
different shark species (there are more than 360 species and eight taxonomic orders). Can you
distinguish among the bull shark, shortfin mako, horn shark, and Atlantic nurse shark?
Are you cagey enough to capture Callinectes sapidus? Try your hand at crabbing in the campus
pond. Why are these bottom-dwelling omnivores so prized by humans? Find out what makes blue
crabs such excellent swimmers, what they eat, and how to tell the difference between a male and a
female.
Have you ever considered a course in biospeleology? Diving courses at TAMUG are among the
most popular with TAMUG students, who choose from among many recreational, scientific, and
research diving options. Recreational course offerings include Open Water, Advanced Open Water,
Rescue, and Divemaster. The scientific training program teaches multiple forms of underwater
research techniques. Research diving projects include work based in many Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean locations, including those conducted by TAMUG’s own Professor Tom Illiffe, a cave
diver who has discovered more than 200 species (70 of which were new to science).
Comfort measures you should bring for this fieldtrip include: a water bottle; hat; water shoes or
walking shoes; clothes that can get wet or muddy; sunscreen; light weight long sleeve shirt if prone
to sunburn; towel; disposable or underwater camera.
http://www.tamug.edu/