HRI’s Conservation and Biodiversity Program Expands Effort to Study Coastal Waterbird Colonies

CORPUS CHRIST, Texas — Coastal waterbirds in Texas face a constant reshaping of their landscape and a slightly higher stretch of sand can mean the difference between a successful hatch and a nest washed away by rising water.

To address these challenges, the Conservation and Biodiversity program at the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has launched a busy 2026.

HRI’s coastal waterbird program will be working on a range of projects in the field and in the lab designed to provide researchers and managers with information to help reduce nest loss, prioritize restoration investments, and protect vulnerable species in a changing climate. These birds are important parts of Texas’ coastal ecosystem as they are key indicators of wetland health, control insect populations, and help protect barrier islands and lagoon habitats.

These projects range from the ongoing Colony Island Network Design and Implementation (CINDI) project, to studies examining the risk of nest overwash during floods and storms. The team will use state-of-the-art drone technology to assess nests and waterbird populations while minimizing disturbance of the habitat.

“These projects deliver practical, science-based tools that help managers reduce nest loss, prioritize restoration investments, and protect vulnerable waterbird species along the Texas coast,” said Dr. Dale Gawlik, the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Endowed Chair for Conservation and Biodiversity at HRI. “Our goal is to stay a step ahead of accelerating threats so that the conservation decisions we make today will sustain healthy, resilient bird populations in the future.”

Here’s a look at some key projects:

Colony Island Network Design Implementation (CINDI)

This ongoing five-year project, launched in 2023 and funded through the NOAA Restore Science Program, continues to make a difference in how waterbird colony islands are managed. The pilot study for CINDI was initially funded by the Knobloch Family Foundation. So far, researchers have mapped every waterbird colony island along the 3,300-mile-long Texas coast, information that is being used to build models to help managers understand island degradation — both past and projected. Through drone surveys, the team has studied nesting productivity and how it varies from year to year. This information gives coastal managers the data they need to prioritize island restoration and protect nesting habitats.

Flooding risk assessment for nests of imperiled shorebirds in South Texas

Through a grant from the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program and the Environmental Protection Agency, HRI researchers are studying how flooding threatens the nests of vulnerable shorebirds such as snowy plover and Wilson’s plover. By identifying which nests are more at risk, the team is helping coastal managers better protect these birds during storms and high tides.

Nest placement and overwash risk of ground-nesting Black Skimmers and Sooty Terns on the Texas Coast

Thanks to a grant from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, HRI researchers are using drone imagery to evaluate nest elevation and microhabitat for black skimmers and sooty terns, while also calculating the risk of nest overwash on specific islands.