Presenter’s slides are linked to presentation titles below.

Wednesday Morning, January 22, 2020 at the University of Houston Victoria

Opening Remarks Allan Berger, Chair, SABP

San Antonio Bay Partnership History and Development Allan Berger, Chair, SABP

Past, Present and Future of San Antonio Bay Partnership James Dodson, Program Facilitator, SABP

State of the Bays Mark Fisher, Science Director, Coastal Fisheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

SABP Partners and our Accomplishments

Translating the National Estuary Program Model Kiersten Stanzel, Director of Partnerships, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program
Collaboration between the San Antonio River Authority and SABP Steve Raabe, Director of Technical Services, and Shaun Donavon, Sr. Aquatic Biologist, San Antonio River Authority
Liz Smith & Joe Saenz
Providing Water for Wildlife and Resiliency Before the Next Drought Part 1 Part 2 Liz Smith, North America Program Director, International Crane Foundation; Joe Saenz, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Manager, USFWS and James Dodson, Project Manager, SABP
Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program Holly Grand, Coastal Outreach Coordinator, Coastal Fisheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Texas Paddling Trails Program Shelly Plante, Nature Tourism Manager, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Can a Chemical Plant and Wildlife Coexist? Ed Boyer, Global Environment Health and Safety Expertise Principal, Dow Seadrift, and Amanda Urbano, Administrative Asst, Dow Seadrift
Have You Kissed a Fish Today? Whitney Curry, Captain, Texas Floating Classroom

Panel Discussion: The Environment in Art, Music, Film and Literature

Moderator Jeffrey Di Leo – UHV Dean of Arts and Sciences, Panel: Andy Sansom, Author; “Miles Arceneaux,” Author; Justin Sherburn, Composer & Conductor; Jim Blackburn,Poet; Bill Harvey, Photographer; and Anlo Sepulveda, Filmmaker.

Wednesday Afternoon

The Future of San Antonio Bay: Responding to Ongoing & Emerging Issues

Climate Change: Evidence, Impacts and Mitigation Strategies for the Texas Coast

Evidence of Climate Change and Impacts on the Texas Coast Wendy Gordon, Founder and Director, Climate Action Texas
Strategies to Mitigate Sea Level Rise and Hurricane Damage to Coastal Resources – The Texas Coastal Exchange Jim Blackburn, Attorney/Planner

Coastal Protection Planning and Implementation

Transitioning Matagorda Island from a Military Facility to a Coastal Treasure – Andrew Sansom, Founder, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Dagger Point Coastal and Marine Habitat Protection and Restoration Joe Saenz, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Manager, USFWS; Cris Weber, Senior Managing Engineer, Anchor QEA; Rosario Martinez, Project Manager, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program

Plastics in the Coastal and Marine Environment

Too much of a good thing! Consumer Plastics in the Marine Environment Neil McQueen, Vice Chair, Coastal Bend Chapter Surfrider Foundation
The Nurdle Patrol: Social Media as a Tool for Data Collection and Raising Awareness Jace Tunnell, Director, Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve and Project Director, The Nurdle Patrol
Reflection on the Battle and on a Positive Way Forward – Diane Wilson, Executive Director, San Antonio Bay Estuarine Water Keepers
Nathan Pence

Thursday Morning January 23, 2020 at the University of Houston Victoria

Freshwater Inflows/Water and Watershed Management

Fresh Water Inflow Management for the San Antonio Bay Guadalupe Estuary System: Where Do We Go From Here? James Dodson, Program Facilitator, SABP
Guadalupe River Basin Habitat Conservation Plan Nathan Pence, Executive Manager Environmental Science and Community Affairs, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
Dedicating Return Flows to the Bay Gregg Eckhardt, Senior Resource Analyst, San Antonio Water System

Habitat Loss /Recovery Programs

Oystercatchers at Risk – Sue Heath, Director of Conservation Research, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Conserving Chester Island Romey Swanson, Director of Conservation Strategy, Audubon Texas
A Little Water Can Go a Long Way, Especially in a Drought: The Focused Flow Concept Paul Montagna, Endowed Chair of Ecosystems and Modeling, Harte Research Institute, TAMU-CC
Jennifer Pollack

Protecting/Enhancing Local Fisheries

Removing Abandoned Crab Traps Allan Berger, Chair, SABP

Creating/Restoring/Enhancing Oyster Reefs for Commercial Oyster Culture, Recreational Fishing and Ecosystem Services

Oyster Reef Creation/Restoration Projects in CCA’s Artificial Reefs Development Plan John Blaha, Assistant Director
Ecosystem Services and Benefits of Created Reefs Jennifer Pollack, Associate Professor of Marine Biology, TAMU-CC
New Opportunity for Oyster Mariculture in Texas John Scarpa, Associate Professor of Aquaculture, TAMU-CC

Keynote Speaker: State Representative Geanie Morrison, Passing the Oyster Mariculture Bill and other legislative initiatives on issues affecting the Texas Mid-Coast

Thursday Afternoon

Environmental Education, Stakeholder Outreach and Involvement Chart the Course

VISD & SABP: Connecting River Kids to the Bay with Estuary Education Shannon Sawyer, Elementary Science Curriculum Coordinator, VISD
Development of a “Coastal Land Management Strategies for Wildlife Conservation” Brochure Liz Smith, North America Programs Director, International Crane Foundation
Connecting People to Nature Laura Bonneau, Visitor Services Manager, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental Education in Victoria Beth Hudson, Texas Master Naturalist, Mid-Coast Chapter
Getting People on the Water: Why Paddling Trails are Important Allan Berger, Chair, SABP, and Wilfred Korth, President, Canoe Trail Goliad
Working Together on Regional Issues Bill Balboa, Executive Director, Matagorda Bay Foundation and Janet Weaver, Vice Chair, Lavaca Bay Foundation