Lab Director

André M. Landry, Jr.
Director, Sea Turtle & Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory
Departments of Marine Biology (Galveston) and Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences (College Station)
Texas A&M University at Galveston, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551
409-740-4989
landrya@tamug.edu
Education: B.S., Zoology, Tulane University (1968); M.S., Texas A&M University (1971); Ph.D., Texas A&M University (1977)
Research: Factors influencing distribution of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle in nearshore waters of the western Gulf of Mexico; occurrence and distribution of sea turtles in Texas bays; movement and habitat preference of green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in the western Gulf of Mexico.

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Tasha Lynn Metz
Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston
5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551
409-740-4431
metzt@tamug.edu
Education: B.S., Biology, Texas Christian University, 1995; M.S., Biology, Texas Christian University, 1997; Ph.D., Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University , 2004.
Research: Factors influencing distribution of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle in nearshore waters of the western Gulf of Mexico; occurrence and distribution of sea turtles. 

Current Students   

William Dailey, Ph.D. Student, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences
Dissertation title: Natural history and population dynamics of tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico, with emphasis on Texas stocks.
Education: MBA, Louisiana State University, 1989; B.S., Marine Fisheries and B.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 1998.

Erin Seney, Ph.D. Student, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences
Research topic: Population dynamics and movements of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
Education: B.A., Biology/Environmental Sciences Minor, University of Virginia (2000); M.S., Marine Science, College of William & Mary (2003).

Angela Bostwick, M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Topic: Use of Decoys in Reducing Incidental Capture of Sea Turtles in the Long-Line Fishery.
Education: B.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 2005.

Catherine “Katie” Gorga, M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Topic: Green Sea Turtle Foraging Strategies and Nutritional Benefit in Lower Laguna Madre, Texas Sea Grass Beds.
Education: B.S., Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 2005.

Lyndsey Howell, M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Topic: Food Habits of Green Sea Turtles from Texas’ Coastal Bend Region.
Education: B.S., Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 2005.

Christi Hughes, M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Topic: Nesting Dynamics of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle along the Upper Texas Coast.
Education: B.S., Wildlife Science, University of Washington, 2004.

Chris Chapa, M.S. Student, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Research Topic: Sustainability of the Snook Fishery in Texas.
Education: B.S., Marine Fisheries, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 2007.

Former Students   

Randy L. Pitre M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1980.
Thesis: Gonad development, growth and condition of some demersal fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico during 1978 and 1979.

Richard M. Sanders, Jr. M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1983.
Thesis: Hydrologic, diel and lunar factors affecting fishes on artificial reefs off Panama City, Florida.

Charlie R. Chandler M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1983.
Thesis: Effects of three substrate variables on two artificial reef fish communities.

George J. Guillen M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1983.
Thesis: Comparative utilization of shallow water habitats at Galveston, Texas by immature marine fish.

Ian Rossman M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1983.
Thesis: On red snapper caught by the Galveston headboat fishery: movement, population characteristics, and productivity.

Edward L. Beene M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1984.
Thesis: A comparison of ichthyofaunal communities at two potential brine disposal areas in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Julie K. Massey M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1984.
Thesis: Age and growth of black drum (Pogonias cromis Linneaus) from Galveston Bay.

John T. Lamkin M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1984.
Thesis: A study of the Galveston Bay bait-shrimp fishery.

Donald E. Pitts, Jr. M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1985.
Thesis: Seasonal structure of fish communities at three barrier island habitats.

Erich K. Stabenau M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1988.
Thesis: Swimming speed and stamina in head started Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempi).

Jane Boslet M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1989.
Thesis: Abundance and distribution of the western Gulf stone crab (Menippe adina) in Galveston Bay, Texas.

Robert Barber M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1989.
Thesis: Age and growth of vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Robert Heinly M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1990.
Thesis: Seasonal occurrence and distribution of sea turtle strandings along the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Randy Cooper M.Ag. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Professional Paper: An Internship with Southeastern Lake Management - Initial Startup of a Consulting Firm.

Mark King M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1992.
Thesis: Age and growth of black drum (Pogonias cromis) in Galveston Bay.

Jeffrey Polasek M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1992.
Thesis: A water quality characterization of a tidally influenced flood control canal of Galveston Bay, Texas.

Richard Seiler M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1994.
Thesis: Utilization of the Upper Houston Ship Channel by fish and macroinvertebrates with respect to water quality trends.

Michael Coyne M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1994.
Thesis: Feeding ecology of subadult green sea turtles in South Texas waters.

Sarah Werner M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1994.
Thesis: Feeding ecology, sex ratio, and length frequency of wild and head started Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii).

Kirstin Loop Ph.D. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1996.
Dissertation: Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at Milman Island, Queensland, Australia.

Stacie Arms M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1996.
Thesis: Overwintering behavior and movement of immature green sea turtles in south Texas waters.

John Christensen M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1996.
Thesis: Ichthyofaunal community structure at a coal combustion byproduct reef and a natural oyster reef in Galveston Bay, Texas.

Patricia Crotwell M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1997.
Thesis: Seagrass habitat utilization by fishes in Christmas Bay, Texas.

Lisa Orvik M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1997.
Thesis: Trace metal concentration within the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii).

Randy Clark M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1997.
Thesis: Nekton community structure of the Rio Grande estuary.

Lisa Hoopes M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1999.
Thesis: Physiological evaluation of Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) captured in entanglement nets in Sabine Pass, Texas.

Christopher Mahendran M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 1999.
Thesis: Fish assemblages on coral reefs in Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras.

Michael Coyne Ph.D. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2000.
Dissertation: Population sex ratio of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii): problems in population modeling.

Brett Dodson M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2000.
Thesis: Water column characterization of anchialine caves in Quintana Roo, Mexico (Co-Chaired with Dr. Thomas Iliffe).

Debbie Sparks M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2000.
Thesis: Assessment of bycatch associated with the inshore shrimp fishery in Matagorda Bay, Texas.

Brooke Shipley M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2000.
Thesis: Habitat use and occurrence of the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) near the Sabine Pass inlet of Texas and Louisiana.

Timothy Grabowski M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2002.
Thesis: Temporal and spatial variability of blenny (Pices:Blenniidae) assemblages in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tasha Metz Ph.D. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. 2004.
Dissertation: Factors influencing Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) distribution in nearshore waters and implications for management.

Hui-Chen (Amy) Wang Ph.D., Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences 2004
Dissertation title: Dissertation: Heavy metal uptake and accumulation pathways in Kemp's ridley
sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)
Education: B.S., Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University (1995); M.S., Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University (1997)

Former Staff   

David Costa

Len Kenyon