Dr. Paul Montagna Named Director of Texas OneGulf Center of Excellence

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Dr. Paul Montagna, Endowed Chair for HydroEcology at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, has been named director of the Texas OneGulf Center of Excellence. As director and principal investigator, Montagna will lead the consortium of nine institutions dedicated to the long-term environmental and economic health of both the state of Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.

“Texas OneGulf has done great work and I’m looking forward to carrying that success forward and working with our partners to continue to support Texas’ data needs,” Montagna said. “I’m particularly interested in supporting the research priorities of our stakeholders, such as the Texas environmental flows adaptive management process with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Water Development Board, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.”

Texas OneGulf was established by TCEQ in 2015 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the passage of the 2012 RESTORE Act to improve understanding and inform decision making regarding the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the health and well-being of Texans and the nation. The diverse and interdisciplinary projects spearheaded by OneGulf have positioned the group as an expert information source for Texas decision makers and natural resource managers working to protect the Gulf and its coastal communities.

“The Texas OneGulf Center of Excellence is in great hands under the direction of Dr. Montagna,” said Dr. Greg Stunz, HRI Senior Executive Director. “Paul brings a wealth of experience including key leadership across many Gulf initiatives. Thus, we are all very confident the center will continue to do excellent work under his direction to further the health of the Gulf of Mexico and the communities that depend on it.”

The consortium of institutions led by HRI includes:

• Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System
• Texas A&M University Center for Environmental Health
• Marine Biology and Science and Engineering Departments at Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Geochemical and Environmental Research Group and Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University
• Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch
• The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University
• Center for U.S. and Mexican Law at the University of Houston Law Center

Texas OneGulf is guided by an Agency Council comprised of representatives from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas General Land Office, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The OneGulf team uses co-production to identify research priorities and produce actionable science.

OneGulf’s current projects, its strategic research and action plan, as well as its completed research, can be found at texasonegulf.org.