9:00 am
RESEARCH PROPOSAL SEMINAR NOTICE
MARINE BIOLOGY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI
SUBJECT: REEF RESILIENCE: INVESTIGATING THE BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, AND PHYSICAL IMPACTS OF SEDIMENT ON OYSTERS AT MULTIPLE SCALES
SPEAKER: Daphne White
MAJOR ADVISOR: Dr. Keisha Bahr
COMMITTEE: Dr. Jennifer Pollack, Dr. Kimberly Withers, Dr. Lindsay Prothro
DATE: Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
TIME: 9 a.m. CST
PLACE: HRI 127, Harte Research Institute, TAMU-CC
ZOOM INFO: Meeting ID: 458 026 8039
Passcode: 399676
ABSTRACT
Oyster reefs are critical foundation habitats that enhance water quality, support biodiversity, and protect shorelines, yet they are increasingly threatened by sedimentation and declining water clarity. Both natural sedimentation and human activities, such as dredging and coastal development, can alter oyster growth, larval settlement, and overall reef function. This dissertation will examine the biological, chemical, and physical impacts of sediment and turbidity on oyster reef ecosystems across five Texas bays that span distinct gradients in freshwater inflow, sediment load, and hydrodynamic energy. Through integrated field surveys, recruitment experiments, and water-quality assessments, this research will link sediment characteristics to oyster abundance, recruitment diversity, and community metabolism. The research aims to quantify how sediment composition and turbidity influence oyster population structure and community-level processes such as calcification and productivity. By identifying environmental thresholds that define reef performance under variable sediment and turbidity conditions, this work will advance our understanding of the mechanisms that govern oyster reef resilience and provides actionable insights for restoration and management aimed at sustaining oyster populations and the ecosystem services they provide across Texas’s coastal systems.