Duration: 2013-2016
Sponser: Rice University Shell Center for Sustainability
Funding Amount: $207,000
PI: Jeffery Nittrouer
Co-PI: Sam Brody, Jaimie Padgett, Philip Bedient
Research Assistant: Russell Blessing
With this proposal, we will conduct a one-year study that assesses environmental, developmental, and infrastructure sustainability of the Upper Texas Gulf Coast. Coastal regions are arguably the most dynamic landscapes on Earth's surface that, under natural conditions, are subject to continuous growth and destruction of land. Coastal regions also offer extraordinary natural resources and are therefore relied upon for societal welfare; consequently, coastlines are inhabited >60% of the world's population (Vorosmarty, et al., 2009). We emphasize that single-discipline studies are insufficient to address the complex environmental and social issues that will be encountered along coastal landscapes in the coming decades. Infrastructure development and population growth of coastal landscapes continues to grow, despite estimates that global sea-level rise and severe storm frequency and magnitude associated with climate change will increasingly impact coastal geomorphology. With this study, we will demonstrate that with integrative studies, "the whole of the research group is greater than sum of the individual components", and thereby we seek to provide a template for coastal sustainability research that will be used to help guide additional research that will be used to help guide additional research and appropriate development planning for 5-10 decades.
Contact Us:
For General Inquires:
PHONE: (409) 741-4076
EMAIL: CTBS@tamug.edu
Mailing Address:
The Center for Texas Beaches and Shores (CTBS)
Texas A&M University at Galveston
1001 Seawolf Parkway
Bldg. 3029
P.O. Box 1675
Galveston, TX 77553
Physical Address:
Texas A&M at Galveston Mitchell Campus
Ocean and Coastal Studies Building