The Gulf Podcast

Items

• Oral History Interview of John G. Sutton
  As part of the Baffin Bay Oral History Project, John G. Sutton talks about growing up and living on the Texas Coast. One of his first memories of Baffin Bay was in 1957 when he caught a large spotted seatrout with his grandfather. Sutton shares stories of fishing in Baffin and the changes he started to see in the mid-1970s. He also discusses his involved in the citizen science water quality project starting in the 2010s; what success would look like in terms of restoring Baffin Bay; and how to get younger generations involved.
• Oral History Interview of Cindy Loeffler
  Cindy Loeffler worked as a hydrologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for over thirty years. In this oral history, she talks about her background and early life, including the influence of the first Earth Day on her career trajectory. She eventually earned a degree from Colorado State University and started her career with the Instream Flow Group at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She moved to TPWD in 1987 and stayed there until her retirement in 2021. In the interview, she discusses the agency's charge to determine freshwater inflow needs for Texas bays and estuaries in the 1980s and the later changes to science and methodologies to make these recommendations. She describes her role in providing technical input to regional water planning meetings after Senate Bill 1 (1997); offering technical input after Senate Bill 2 (2001); and the changes that occurred after Senate Bill 3 (2007). The interview also covers her mentors in the agency as well as the challenge of climate change.
• Oral History Interview of Captain David Rowsey
  Interview for the Baffin Bay Oral History Project, Captain David Rowsey talks about growing up fishing and getting hooked on saltwater fishing; shifting from being a real estate appraiser to a full-time fishing guide to promote conservation and catch-and-release fishing; changes to lure fishing and tackle over time; his involvement in the citizen science water quality project; brown tides, croaker fishing, and his observations on the changes to Baffin Bay over time; his thoughts on restoring the bay; and some big trout stories.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Michael S. Wetz
  Dr. Wetz talks about growing up in southeastern Ohio and becoming interested in marine biology after watching the film Jaws; his undergraduate studies, graduate work in oceanography on plankton, and his career as a professor; his work on water quality in Texas bays and estuaries including a citizen science project in Baffin Bay; and the work being done by the Baffin Bay Stakeholder Group.
• Oral History Interview of Chuck Naiser
  In this oral history interview, Chuck Naiser talks about growing up hunting and fishing in East Bernard, Texas; meeting his wife Marguerite ("Gete") at Sam Houston State University; first fishing the Rockport, Texas, area in 1967 with Gete's family; the environmental changes that he has noticed over time; his conservation work with the Gulf Coast Conservation Association (now the Coastal Conservation Association); the redfish wars; becoming a fly fishing guide; why he founded FlatsWorthy; current oyster conservation efforts in St. Charles Bay; and memorable guiding experiences.
• Oral History Interview of Eric Kern
  As part of the Baffin Bay Oral History Project, Eric Kern talks about fishing while growing up in the Houston area and attending Texas A&M University-College Station. He later moved to Kingsville, Texas, and first fished Baffin Bay with his future wife Susan. Kern also discusses memorable experiences on Baffin Bay; his involvement in the Gulf Coast Conservation Association; fishing and owning a cabin on Baffin Bay; his favorite fishing spot; the changes to the bay that he observed over time; what he believes success should look like for restoration efforts; and promoting stewardship among the younger generations.
• Oral History of Dr. Ken Kramer
  The long-time and former Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, Ken Kramer discusses his background, how he became interested in environmental policy and Texas water issues, his involvement in water quality planning in Houston, and his work on the 1985 water package and subsequent legislation in 1997, 2001, and 2007. He also talks about the implementation of Senate Bill 3 (2007) and his involvement on the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers and Galveston Bay Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee. The oral history ends with Kramer's reflections on the history and future of water and environmental issues.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Paul Montagna, Part Three
  In this oral history, Dr. Paul Montagna recounts his career studying and the changing science behind understanding freshwater inflow into San Antonio Bay and other bays along the Texas coast. Topics covered include understanding the indirect relationship between freshwater inflow and plants and animals; creating new models and analytical techniques for data; long-term monitoring; the impact of Hurricane Harvey on San Antonio Bay; ecosystem-based management; the relationship between freshwater inflow and benthic habitats; his testimony in Aransas Project v. Shaw and whooping cranes; and his other work on freshwater inflow.
• Oral History Interview of Scott Murray
  As part of the Baffin Bay Oral History Project, Scott Murray talks about growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, getting a marine biology degree, working at Central Power and Light Company, his conservation work, and fishing and family in Baffin Bay. Murray shares the changes to the bay and fishing over time and what prompted him to help spearhead a citizen science project on water quality sampling in Baffin Bay. He also discusses what restoration success might look like and how to get younger generations to become stewards of the bay.
• Oral History Interview of Joe Trungale
  In this oral history, Joe Trungale discusses his work as a hydrologist working on Texas water issues and freshwater inflow. Topics include his background and moving to Texas; the passage of three water bills in Texas in the 1990s and 2000s; Water Availability Models and environmental flow; serving on multiple Basin and Bay Expert Science Teams after Senate Bill 3 was passed in 2007; his testimony on the whooping crane case with the Aransas Project; and his work on salinity patterns in bays.
• Oral History Interview of Myron Hess
  In this interview, Hess discusses his childhood in Muenster, Texas, studying environmental law at the University of Texas at Austin, and his work on water law at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and at the National Wildlife Federation. He talks in depth about freshwater inflow issues and the passage and implementation of Senate Bill 3 in 2007.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Donna Shaver
  Dr. Shaver discusses her background, her start at Padre Island National Seashore, and her work over the last thirty years on Kemp's ridley sea turtle recovery.
• S1E7: Saving Sea Turtles and Birds on the Texas Coast
  In our final episode of Season One, The Gulf Podcast production assistant Max McClure covers the largest sea turtle rescue effort in US history. Back in February 2021, the deadly winter storm that slammed Texas had a tremendous impact on wildlife. For cold-blooded sea turtles, winter weather can be deadly. When the water temperature gets below fifty degrees, their body temperature drops so much that they essentially become paralyzed, leaving them in a vulnerable state where they can go into shock, catch pneumonia, or become frostbitten. It’s called cold-stunning. In the wake of the storm, Texas experienced the largest cold-stunning event ever recorded.
• S1E7: Saving Sea Turtles and Birds on the Texas Coast
  In our final episode of Season One, The Gulf Podcast production assistant Max McClure covers the largest sea turtle rescue effort in US history. Back in February 2021, the deadly winter storm that slammed Texas had a tremendous impact on wildlife. For cold-blooded sea turtles, winter weather can be deadly. When the water temperature gets below fifty degrees, their body temperature drops so much that they essentially become paralyzed, leaving them in a vulnerable state where they can go into shock, catch pneumonia, or become frostbitten. It’s called cold-stunning. In the wake of the storm, Texas experienced the largest cold-stunning event ever recorded.
• S1E6: The Riddle of the Ridley
  In this episode, we're going to learn about a twenty-year scientific mystery. It’s the riddle of the ridley. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are one of five species of sea turtles that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. And they’re the world’s most endangered sea turtle so we’re also going to hear about recovery efforts along the Texas coast.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Larry McKinney, Part Two
  This is an oral history interview of Dr. Larry McKinney interviewed by Jen Brown. Part Two covers menhaden; Texas water issues; his role as director of the Harte Research Institute; transdisciplinary studies; the scientific aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; international science; oyster fisheries and restoration; his role in chairing the Morris Deal Commission; and other topics.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Jennifer Beseres Pollack
  This is an oral history interview of Dr. Jennifer Beseres Pollack interviewed by Jen Brown. Dr. Pollack discusses what drew her to environmental science; how she got interested in coastal habitat restoration; her work with oyster recycling and oyster reef restoration; conducting scientific studies during the COVID-19 pandemic; and being a female faculty member.
• S1E5: Texas-Style Oyster-tecture
  Episode 5 of The Gulf Podcast explores the history--and future--of oysters on the Texas Coast. We'll hear from Dr. Jenni Pollack, the Chair for Coastal Conservation and Restoration at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. Dr. Pollack leads a team of scientists and students involved in a shell recycling program and oyster reef restoration. Plus, production assistant Max eats his first oyster!
• S1E4: The Edge of the Sea
  In this episode, we'll hear from Dr. Paul Montagna, a scientist at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. Paul has devoted much of his career to studying estuaries and freshwater inflow. You'll also hear about how the drought of the fifties transformed Texas. Finally, we’ll hear more about how Paul and others rewrote state law to make Texas a national leader in maintaining freshwater inflow.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Larry McKinney, Part One
  This is an oral history interview of Dr. Larry McKinney interviewed by Dr. Jen Brown. Part One covers Dr. McKinney's early life; growing up in West Texas; the drought of the 1950s; how he got interested in marine biology; graduate school and his work with amphipods; his work at Texas Parks and Wildlife; diving; fishing; and other topics.
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Dara Orbach
  This is an oral history recording of Dr. Dara Orbach, interviewed by Maxwell McClure. Dr. Orbach talks about her work as a marine biologist and what led to take the career path she is on. This includes details about her undergraduate studies, graduate studies, research experience with marine mammals, and her current work that she does in her lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She also gives advice for prospective students who want to study marine mammals.
• S1Bonus: The World of Porpoise Penises and Dolphin Love
  The Gulf podcast is back! This bonus episode is actually a guest episode from production assistant Maxwell McClure. In it, he explores the study of dolphin genitals, drunk bats, and other fascinating and quirky research projects conducted by Dr. Dara Orbach of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Find out how a professor who yearned for a way to live on the beach found herself running a lab with the largest collection of marine mammal penises in the world!
• Oral History Interview of Dr. Pamela T. Plotkin
  This is an oral history recording of Dr. Pamela T. Plotkin, interviewed by Dr. Jen Brown. Dr. Plotkin discusses her early life and what got her interested in studying biology; the start of her career at Padre Island National Seashore; working for Tony Amos and rescuing animals; her graduate work on sea pens; marine debris and plastics and the impact on sea turtles; her doctoral research studying olive ridley sea turtles in Costa Rica; the growing popularity of sea turtles; her experiences as a woman in science; and the restoration efforts for Kemp's ridley sea turtles.
• S1B1: Summer Break Announcement
  This is an announcement that The Gulf podcast is on summer break. We’ve had to take a brief pause due to the pandemic, but we’ll be back in September for more stories of people and nature on the Texas Gulf Coast. Stay safe and stay healthy!
• S1E1: The Pelican Lady
  Our first episode features the story of Emilie Payne, a woman who spent twenty years patrolling brown pelican nesting grounds in Corpus Christi Bay. When Emilie started in the late 1960s, brown pelicans had disappeared entirely from Louisiana and Texas only had a handful of nesting pairs left. This episode follows their remarkable comeback. Oh, and you'll hear about bird hats. This episode originally aired in March 2020 and was revised and reproduced in November 2022.