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RESEARCH STAFF
DR. JENNIFER BESERES
DR. JORGE BRENNER
DR. IVONNE CRUZ
APRIL GOSSMANN
LARRY HYDE
RICK KALKE
DR. HAE CHOEL KIM
DR. FABIO MORETZSOHN
SURAIDA NANEZ-JAMES
TERRY PALMER
MEGAN REESE
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Guarding the Gulf of Mexico's valuable resources
Source: SciDev.net
The following article was written by HRI Postdoctoral Research
Associate Dr. Jorge Brenner and published by Science & Development Network website.
March 2008 - Scientific collaboration on the common resources of the Gulf of
Mexico has been difficult since the United States placed an economic
embargo on Cuba in 1962. Research is permitted for US scientists who
have a special government license and Mexican scientists are allowed
to travel to Cuba, but the political deadlock means that only a few
institutions have managed to develop collaborative projects among
the three countries. As a result, efforts to conserve the Gulf's
valuable species and resources are being thwarted.
The economic embargo is widely considered as the main barrier to
international marine research and conservation programs in the
Gulf. But, given that the Gulf is enclosed by three countries, an
integrated view of governance of common resources should prevail
over the political strategies of the individual countries.
This common responsibility is often overlooked. We have abused the
region's ecological resources in treating them as a source of wealth
while failing to share responsibility for their conservation. In my
opinion, this misunderstanding of the concept of the commons — owned
by everyone and no one — has probably caused more damage than the
economic embargo imposed on almost self-sufficient Cuba.
Rich in biodiversity and habitats
The Gulf of Mexico is rich in biodiversity and unique habitats, and
hosts the only known nesting beach of Kemp's Ridley, the world's
most endangered sea turtle.
The Gulf's circulation pattern gives it biological and socioeconomic
importance: water from the Caribbean enters from the south through
the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico and, after warming in
the basin, leaves through the northern Florida Strait between the
United States and Cuba to form the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic
that helps to regulate the climate of western Europe.
About one-third of the Gulf is a broad continental shelf, which
provides a wealth of fisheries. Intensive fishing is the biggest
factor interfering with the Gulf's environment and is an area where
the three governments should cooperate in managing this
international resource.
In November 2007 some 30 Cuban and US marine scientists and
resource managers met in Cancún, Mexico. The aim was to boost
collaboration in marine research and conservation by developing a
common agenda to pave the way for more sustainable utilization of
Gulf resources.
Participants developed a framework for joint research in the Gulf of
Mexico and western Caribbean on coral reefs, sharks, sea turtles,
dolphins, fisheries management, and marine-protected coastal areas.
Although identifying these conservation targets is a solid outcome,
progress on sustainable governance in the region will require more
active involvement and efficient communication among scientists,
stakeholders and government officials from the three countries.
Comparison of marine policies
We are progressing towards a scientific consensus in the Gulf, and
we realize that overexploitation of its resources and pollution are
causing the environment to deteriorate. But local governance issues,
such as as ecosystem-based coastal zone management and Agenda 21
initiatives, are all important national responsibilities for
achieving integrated conservation of the commons. Government
officials, scientists and even the public in the region are aware of
this; however, we still need a shared understanding of each other's
international policy, of the conservation opportunities and of the
advantages of collaboration in management before we attempt to make
changes at the local or country level.
Ensuring sustainability of the oceans is a challenge for regional
governance, but it also offers opportunities. Researchers at the
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies in Corpus
Christi, Texas, have compared the three countries' marine policies
with a view to finding common strategies for better governance in
the region.
Even in the absence of a regional strategy, we could follow the
example of the Maritime Policy of the European Union, which brought
coastal and ocean policies of several countries to common ground.
Recent changes in the Cuban and Mexican administrations promise
re-establishment of at least a bi-national relationship, and the
next US administration could forge a more constructive alliance to
improve the Gulf's social-ecological dynamics.
A key outcome of the November meeting in Cancún is the formation of working
groups for each of the defined priority topics. This will enhance
communication between scientists and officials in the three
countries. Since 2003 the Harte Research Institute has conducted
seven research projects in Cuba, with a total budget of $365,500,
and has participated in workshops and conservation activities on
Cuba's northwest coast.
The next meeting will aim to develop a tri-national marine
conservation initiative for the Gulf by including Mexican
scientists. This, in turn, should provide new strategies and
opportunities for wider collaboration. |
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OVERVIEW: Research Staff are scientific and operational personnel who support the
research programs of the Endowed Faculty and
Faculty Research Associates
in the HRI building. Most of them are research technical staff with Bachelors
of Science
and Masters of Science degrees in marine related fields. Research Staff personnel carry out
the day-to-day field and lab research operations of the HRI. |
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DR. JENNIFER BESERES
HRI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Dr. Jennifer Beseres works with HRI endowed chair
Dr. Paul Montagna. She
received her PhD in Marine Science
 from the University of South Carolina
in 2006, where her research focused on the feeding dynamics and
predatory impact of penaeid shrimp in estuarine creeks and mariculture
ponds. Jenni’s primary research interests at HRI involve the
relationship between changing environmental parameters, such as
freshwater inflow, and the response of ecologically and economically
important species, such as the eastern oyster. She is also interested in
practical applications of benthic ecology, including restoration of salt
marsh and oyster reef habitats, and the use of new technologies for
shoreline erosion control. |
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DR. JORGE BRENNER
HRI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Dr. Jorge Brenner is working with Dr. Paul Montagna, HRI's Endowed Chair of Ecosystem Studies and
 Modeling, conducting research on eco-informatics and ecological economics
sciences. He is interested in ecosystem services, health assessment,
valuation models, spatial dynamics, marine conservation and sustainability sciences.
Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Brenner lived in Spain before moving to Corpus. His areas of expertise are biodiversity
conservation,
eco-informatics, GIS, coastal zone management, ecological economics and
sustainability science.
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DR. IVONNE CRUZ
HRI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Dr. Ivonne Cruz obtained her Ph.D. at the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability at
the UPC in Barcelona, Spain. She has dedicated most of her latest work
to the analysis and evaluation of Human Development Policies. Her
research is focused on integrating the social, political, environmental,
 economic, cultural and institutional dimensions of development in
policymaking. As an HRI Postdoctoral Research Associate, she guides
projects related to the human dimensions of marine policy implications
and natural resources governance issues. She collaborates part time with
the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability as an associate researcher and works
as an independent consultant for local and international organizations.
Her recent work involves expanding on Sustainable Human Development
programs that focus on analysis of well-being and quality-of life
issues. She is also interested in sustainable governance issues in the
Gulf of Mexico region. Human needs and human capabilities theories are
also key aspects of her work. |
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APRIL GOSSMANN
HRI RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
 April
Gossmann works in the ecosystems studies lab under HRI endowed chair
Dr. Paul Montagna. She received her bachelor's degree in Marine Biology in 2006 at Texas State University-San Marcos.
She attended University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in
Port Aransas for her advanced biology courses where she was a student worker under Dr. Montagna. After graduating,
she became a fulltime research tech in Dr. Montagna's benthic lab at UTMSI,
then transferred to the HRI with Dr. Montagna when he came onboard in
2006. |
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LARRY HYDE
HRI RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Larry J. Hyde works for HRI endowed
chair Dr. Paul Montagna. Hyde received a Master’s degree in Biology
 from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2000.
His graduate studies focused on the distribution and ecology of benthic molluscs on Stetson Bank within the
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Technical pursuits at HRI primarily include taxonomic description of marine benthic samples from Texas estuaries, as well as corresponding analysis of
chlorophyll-a from the adjacent water column. Additional taxonomic work is being performed on samples from the West Coast of Africa and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.
He enjoys recreational diving, nature photography, and culinary exploration. |
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RICK KALKE
HRI RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Rick Kalke, a 1969 and 1972 Texas A&M graduate, has been working with HRI endowed chair Dr. Paul Montagna and other
 benthic ecologist from
the University of
Texas Marine Science Institute for the past 35 years. He has been involved in Texas coastal
freshwater inflow and Gulf of Mexico benthic studies since 1972. Rick is Dr. Montagna’s laboratory manager and field sampling coordinator with an expertise
in benthic and zooplankton ecology and taxonomy. He received a University of Texas College of Natural Science Staff Recognition & Excellence Award in 1998-99.
Outside interests are fishing, gardening, BBQ and Texas Honky-Tonk music.
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DR. HAE CHOEL KIM
HRI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Dr. Hae-Cheol Kim works
with HRI endowed chair Dr. Paul Montagna,
developing a coupled ecosystem box model that
 can predict ecosystem
responses and bay health to changes in freshwater inflow.
He received his PhD in Oceanography from the Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University in 2004, where his research focused on
marine primary production and carbon flux in Antarctic coastal waters. Before coming to HRI, he was working at the Smithsonian Environmental Research
Center as a postdoctoral fellow, where he developed a coupled watershed-ecosystem model for prediction of eutrophication and water quality in tributaries
of the Chesapeake Bay. |
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DR. FABIO MORETZSOHN
HRI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
 Dr. Fabio Moretzsohn is working with
Dr. Wes Tunnell on the biota of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), coordinating the checklist of marine molluscs of the Gulf
of Mexico. He is interested in systematics, biodiversity and conservation of marine invertebrates, especially molluscs. His research has taken him to
collecting field trips in Brazil, Japan, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands. He enjoys diving and digital imaging both as hobbies and as research tools.
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SURAIDA NANEZ-JAMES
HRI RESEARCH SPECIALIST
Suraida Nañez-James is currently
working with Dr. Wes Tunnell on
 invasive species and science education and outreach for the HRI. She received her B.S. in Marine Fisheries from Texas A&M University
at Galveston while working for the NOAA Fisheries Laboratory in Galveston. In 2006, she received her Masters in Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
where she focused her studies on identifying and characterizing nursery habitats for juvenile southern flounder in Texas bays. Her areas of interest include
fisheries biology and ecology, ecosystem studies, invasive species and science education. |
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TERRY A. PALMER
HRI RESEARCH SPECIALIST
 Terry Palmer is working with HRI endowed chair
Dr. Paul Montagna, investigating freshwater inflow and circulatory changes to Corpus Christi Bay.
He is interested in water quality, the effects that humans have on the coastal and estuarine environment, and the use of benthic macrofauna
as indicators to detect changes in the environment. He has studied pollution in Antarctica as part of a long-term research project, has
researched New Zealand freshwater systems and has done extensive research in Texas estuaries.
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MEGAN REESE
HRI RESEARCH SPECIALIST
Megan Reese is working with HRI’s Endowed Research
 Professor
Dr. Greg Stunz conducting fisheries ecology research. Specifically she is
investigating linkages among the marine environment, fisheries
productivity and ocean health. She is interested in marine ecology,
the relative value of habitat to estuarine fishes and crustaceans, as
well as human impacts to estuarine ecosystems. She has studied aquatic
systems from the freshwater lakes in Minnesota to estuaries along the
Texas coast.
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