The Gulf

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Our third episode explores a sense of place by focusing on a Gulf Coast favorite, Padre Island National Seashore. And we’re going hear from folks who work really hard to keep it trash free. The episode will cover a brief history of the creation of the seashore as well as scenes from the 25th annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup, one of the largest beach cleanups in North America.

This episode brings you into the world of Henry "Hank" Compton. After working as a marine biologist in the Gulf of Mexico, Hank's life slowly spiraled into tragedy. He died alone in his apartment. After his death, there was a chance discovery of his artwork and writings on the deep sea. This work was brought to life by Dr. David McKee, a retired marine biology professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the author of the book Fire in the Sea: Bioluminescence and Henry Compton's Art of the Deep.

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 podcast shares stories from people who live and work along the Gulf of Mexico. It's a bit of history and a bit of science, featuring the voices of people involved. Once a month, we’ll hear from biologists, birdwatchers, volunteers, and other local unsung heroes. Episode transcripts, along with a list of sources, can be found on our website.