25 Years of Coastal Impact: HRI’s Collaborative Approach to Conservation Challenges

This is one of a series of stories looking at the history and impact of HRI over the last 25 years. 

In 2002, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wrestled with a decision about spotted sea trout regulations, and knew they needed a backup. They turned to a trusted collaborator — the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

TPWD and HRI had teamed up before. This time, Robin Riechers, who is TPWD’s Director of Coastal Fisheries, said there were questions about the release mortality of larger spotted sea trout and TPWD had conducted its own studies, but the fish population had not yet re-built. HRI’s involvement helped expand the pool of information used to guide a decision that could have significant impacts along the Texas coast — and demonstrated collaboration is essential for effective conservation in Texas.

“We were able to team with HRI and they were able to come in and immediately do a quick study,” Riechers said. “Basically, they found the same thing that we had found before. That gave confidence to people and recreational anglers that we were on the right path and doing the right thing.

“That kind of critical research helped us. That applied work for that management action is really what’s valuable to us and is a long-term conservation win for the state of Texas,” Riechers added.

HRI’s ability to bridge science and management has become a model for how academic institutions can work hand in hand with local, state and national agencies to address real-world conservation challenges. Whether it’s assessing fish populations, shark research, restoring oyster habitats, freshwater inflows, or studying water quality, HRI’s collaborations have brought cutting-edge research directly into areas where it matters most.

“One of the unique opportunities made possible through collaboration with HRI is the work around harmful algae blooms,” stated Jesse Gilbert, Texas State Aquarium President and CEO. “These blooms impact not only wildlife but also fisheries, the economy and human health. The collaboration between the Aquarium and HRI to mitigate these impacts makes our wildlife rescue program unique and the only one of its kind in the United States due to the globally respected science coming out of HRI.”

That kind of forward-thinking approach — combining research with real-world application has become a hallmark of HRI’s work. Its collaborations aren’t just for convenience, but about aligning strengths to create lasting, scalable solutions.

Kiersten Stanzel, the Executive Director of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, added HRI’s broad range of research can also help bring large projects to fruition.  

“We bring that stakeholder engagement and ability to partner with a lot of different types of entities,” said Stanzel, whose organization partners with HRI on multiple projects including the Bringing Baffin Back™ initiative. “There are folks at the Harte Research Institute that can tackle policy issues, economic issues, research issues … all the different things that often are needed to drive a project home. I think that collaboration makes it really strong.”

The associations HRI made over the course of 25 years have not only made the institute stronger but bolstered efforts to provide science-driven solutions for conservation along the Gulf and beyond. These connections have helped HRI tackle challenges more quicky, share knowledge more widely, and make sure conservation decisions are backed by solid science.

“The thing is you also need it to be ongoing science, it’s never a snapshot,” said Pat Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) a long-time partner with HRI that also helped fund the founding of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation. “Having a long partnership with HRI is vital. Not just to initially get the information but to continue to get the information and then to work together. That science helped to shape our policy, and then also the science becomes the educator behind our policy.”

Conserving Texas’ and the Gulf’s resources is not a solo effort. Building long-lasting relationships has been not only a cornerstone of HRI’s success, but also a clear glimpse into its future.