Browsing by Author "Galveston Bay Estuary Program"
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Item Bay Briefings - Freshwater Inflow(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Galveston Bay is an estuary, a semi-enclosed coastal water body that has a free connection with the open sea. In an estuary, freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with sea water. Freshwater enters Galveston Bay from the Trinity River (which supplies more that half of the bay's freshwater), the San Jacinto River, and the area's numerous smaller streams and bayous. The bay depends on freshwater inflows to dilute the salty water entering the bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The dilution of salty gulf waters with freshwater inflows is critical to the survival of young fish and shellfish, particularly oysters. Freshwater inflows ensure that the wetlands surrounding the bay remain healthy. Wetlands are important nurseries for the young of recreationally and commercially important finfish and shellfish. A decrease in the freshwater reaching the bay would likely change its salinity and may alter its ecology. Freshwater inflows also carry important nutrients and sediments to the bay. Both are essential in supporting plant communities and sustaining marshes. Periodic droughts affect the salinity of Galveston Bay. Drought conditions are usually short-lived and are relieved by periods of intense rainfall, such as those caused by tropical storms.Item Bay Briefings - Habitat Protection(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;The Galveston Bay estuary is a rich ecosystem featuring many different types of natural areas, or habitats. Salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, forests, cypress swamps, and prairies are among these unique wild places. By providing food and shelter, these habitats support a great diversity of wildlife and aquatic species. Galveston Bay's habitats make it one of the nation's most productive estuaries, supporting economically vital fisheries and tourism. Wetlands and other habitats filter pollutants from water, helping to protect the quality of our bayous and bays. Coastal forests, wetlands, and grasslands help control flooding by absorbing rainfall. Wildlife habitats are also excellent places to have fun-besides fishing, they support recreational activities such as crabbing, hunting, boating, kayaking, bird watching, and wildlife photography. Finally, natural areas are beautiful, peaceful places, contributing greatly to the quality of our community.Item Bay Briefings - Public Health(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Galveston Bay is one of the nation's most productive estuaries. It is estimated that seafood production generates an estimated $3.1 billion annually to our region's economy. The Bay supports one-third of the state's commercial fishing and over half of its recreational fishing. The bay is a popular place, and rightly so. Enjoying the bay, using it for our livelihoods, or consuming its fish or shellfish comes with some public-health risks. The Estuary Program works with state and federal agencies to understand, to publicize, and to minimize these risks. There are two main areas of risk: (1) exposure to pathogens (disease-causing organisms) through the consumption of oysters or by direct contact with contaminated waters, and (2) exposure to toxic substances through the consumption of contaminated fish or shellfish.Item Bay Briefings - Seafood Consumption Advisories(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Contamination of fish and shellfish in some areas of Galveston Bay and its tributaries poses a health risk to consumers of these seafoods. The contaminants may be either chemicals or pathogens (disease-causing organisms). Determining what areas of the bay system contain contaminated seafood and advising the public on how to limit those risks are the responsibility of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). This state agency (formerly the Texas Department of Health) takes seafood samples from water bodies throughout the state, sends the tissue to laboratories, and-based on the laboratory results- determines the degree of risk for consumption. If contaminant levels are very high, the DSHS makes it illegal to possess certain seafood from certain areas. More commonly, the DSHS advises the general public to limit the number of fish eaten or advises pregnant women or children to eliminate certain fish from their diets. For contaminated oysters, the DSHS will close or restrict the areas of harvesting.Item Bay Briefings - Shoreline Management(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Galveston Bay supports a wide variety of uses, including industrial processing (such as oil and gas extraction and petrochemical operations), shipping, fisheries, recreation, and tourism. These activities have a direct affect on the shorelines of the bay and its tributaries. Development along the shoreline often creates problems through disturbance or destruction of habitats, modification of flood plains, worsening pollution, increasing erosion, and introduction of litter.Item Bay Briefings - Species Protection(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;The Galveston Bay estuary features an amazing variety of animals, from barnacles to bald eagles; from oysters to otters; from red-eared sunfish to redfish. Galveston Bay's wildlife is also valuable economically. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Galveston Bay's recreational fishing is valued at $2.8 billion, and commercial fishing at $358 million, annually. The upper Texas coast is one of the country's premier hot spots for birdwatching, which brings in people and money from around the globe. Tourism is among the region's most important industries, and wildlife watching is its fastest growing sector.Item Bay Briefings - Spills, Fills, and Dumping(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Spills related to industry and shipping are often thought to be the most common and the most dangerous to the environment. However, sensitive habitats and wildlife populations can be harmed as much by the improper disposal of trash as by the spilling of oil and other chemicals. In addition to causing environmental harm, spills and illegal dumping affect the human population by contaminating seafood and by destroying the beauty of our bays and bayous. The Galveston Bay Estuary Program supports ongoing activities that reduce solid waste and prevent and respond to spills of hazardous materials. These activities include trash control, natural-resource damage assessments, and spill management.Item Bay Briefings - Water and Sediment Quality(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2006) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;Galveston Bay's water quality has improved over time and the bay's waters, with some notable exceptions, are generally considered healthy. However, as population and development increase around the Houston-Galveston region, there is the potential for an increase in water pollution. While improvements in water quality have occurred since the implementation of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s, problems persist. Galveston Bay's water quality problems are concentrated in urban tributaries where human development is densest.Item Bay line: Quarterly News from the Galveston Bay Management Conference(Galveston Bay National Estuary Program, 1989) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramIssues of Bayline Magazine from Spring 1989-Spring 1988 cover various topics including Galveston Bay and estuaries.Item Charting the Course to 2015(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2009) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramLaid out in the pages of this document is what we have identified as the most urgent priorities for implementing our management plan over the next 10 years and for building lasting partnerships necessary to sustain the bay's future.Item Ebb & Flow: Galveston Bay Characterization Highlights. the State of the Bay Symposium V. January 31-February 2, 2001.(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2001) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;This document is about the findings of studies on Galveston Bay and its watershed and the management actions based on those findings. We have written about the whole bay and the diverse information that is required to understand it as a system. Of course, boundaries had to be established and limits set or the volume would have expanded to infinity. You may disagree with what was included and what was omitted. Please make your suggestions know to the Galveston Bay Estuary Program staff. The story of Galveston Bay is a continuing one and this document is certainly not the last one to be written on the status and trends of its properties. Jim Lester, Director Environmental Institute of HoustonItem Eighth Biennial State of the Bay Symposium(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2007) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramThis is the Program and Schedule of Presentations for the 8th Biennial State of the Bay Symposium. Galveston Bay is a dynamic and important coastal resource to Texas; and is an estuary of national significance. It is the most monumental natural resource in the Houston-Galveston area, and its ecological services and quality of life value are intricately entwined in the social and economic fabric of the region.Item Eighth Biennial State of the Bay Symposium Conference Materials(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2007) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramPacket includes abstracts and bios of poster presentations, participant list, and exhibitor list.Item The future of the Galveston Bay estuary: local communities leading the way. The Sixth Biennial State of the Bay Symposium. January 14-16, 2003.(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2003) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;The Sixth Biennial State of the Bay Symposium reflects the Galveston Bay Estuary Program's continued commitment to offer a continuing forum for sharing the latest Galveston Bay data, information and management tools.Item Galveston Bay and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, 2007) Galveston Bay Estuary Program;This is a brochure describing Galveston Bay and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program that manages this natural resource.Item Galveston Bay Drive & Discover(Galveston Bay Foundation, 2005) Galveston Bay Foundation; Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramThe ways people have used our estuary's habitats have changed significantly over time, and these changes have been inscribed upon and around the Bay. The Drive & Discover Guide documents some of these changes and their effects on our Bay's habitats. As such, Drive & Discover Guide blends human and natural history. We point out places as diverse as ancient shell middens, early cattle ranches, submerged seagrass meadows, good birdwatching sites, and the first offshore oil rigs in Texas. The Drive & Discover Guide organizes these sites into eight areas. These regions approximate watershed - the flow of water from the mainland to the Bay - but they also reflect how humans have divided the Bay into a series of cultural zones.Item Galveston Bay Estuary Program(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 1997-05) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramInformational brochure.Item Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Grand parkway (SH99) from SH225 to 1H10 East, Harris and Chambers Counties, Texas, consistency review(1998) Galveston Bay Estuary Program; ;No abstract availableItem Galveston Bay: Discover a Treasure in your own Backyard(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2007) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramThis publication is a newspaper insert into the local newspapers on May 13th, 2007. It is intended as a general information guide to the greater Houston area about Galveston Bay as a resource.Item Plan Review Summary (1996-2000)(Galveston Bay Estuary Program, 2001-01) Galveston Bay Estuary ProgramNo abstract available.