Sandra S. Arismendez

Harte Fellow
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Drive, HRI 314, Unit 5869
Corpus Christi, Texas 78412-5869
Phone: (361) 825-2079
E-mail: sandra.arismendez@tamucc.edu
Website: www.hri.tamucc.edu

Co-advisors

Paul A. Montagna, Ph.D. Endowed Chair for Ecosystem Studies & Modeling Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
and John W. Tunnell, Jr., Ph.D.
Associate Director and Harte Research Scientist
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
Director, Center for Coastal Studies and Professor of Biology
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Background

Sandra is a native of South Texas having been born and raised in Sinton and Skidmore, respectively. She is a graduate of Skidmore-Tynan High School, Coastal Bend College (Associate in Science), Corpus Christi State University (Bachelor of Science in Biology) and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (Master of Science in Marine Biology). Sandra is currently a Harte Fellow at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies and is pursuing a doctoral degree in the Coastal and Marine System Science Ph.D. Program. Sandra was employed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the past 10 years, first as a Natural Resource Coastal Planner for the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, then as an Aquatic Scientist for the Total Maximum Daily Load Program.

Research Interests

Sandra's research is being funded through a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assist in the development of a conceptual "Harte Model" for science, technology, policy and ecosystem-based management of the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA's Large Marine Ecosystem Model for the Gulf of Mexico along with Harte Research Institute resources will be used as the basis for this research. Research interests include:

status and trends of estuarine water quality
impacts from anthropogenic activities on water quality, habitats and living resources
watershed management
education and outreach

Hobbies

I enjoy traveling, running, cycling, swimming, birding, hiking, SCUBA, and cooking.

Publications

Wade, T.L., S.T. Sweet, S. Alvarado, N. Tindale and C. Sweet. 1999. Nutrient and Metal Deposition to Corpus Christi Bay, Texas. National Atmospheric Deposition Network Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California.

Smith, E.H. and S.A. Alvarado. 1998. Constructed Wetland at Refugio Lions-Shelly Park: A Demonstration Project. USEPA, Wash., D.C. Coastlines (Spring 1998) Vol. 8, No. 2.

Jensen, P., Y. Su and S.A. Alvarado. 1998. Corpus Christi Bay Public Health Issues. American Society of Civil Engineers Spring Conference Proceedings, South Padre Island, Texas. 11 pages.

Alvarado, S.A. 1997. Species Checklist: A Tool for Habitat Management. Pages 659-660 in M.C. Miller and J. Cogan (eds). Coastal Zone 97 Conference Proceedings, Vol. 2. Boston, Massachusetts.

Alvarado, S.A. 1996. The Occurrence and Zoogeography of Mollusca from Rocky Shores of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, Veracruz, Mexico. M.S. Thesis. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. 67 pages.

Alvarado, S.A. 1996. Hard Substrate. Pages 111-150 in J.W. Tunnell, Jr. Q.R. Dokken, E.H. Smith, and K. Withers (eds). Current Status and Historical Trends of the Estuarine Living Resources within the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Study Area, Vol. 2. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Austin. CCBNEP-06A.

Tunnell, J.W. and S.A. Alvarado eds. 1996. Checklist of Species within Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Study Area: References, Habitats, Distribution, and Abundance, Vol. 4. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Austin. CCBNEP-06D. 298 pages.

Withers, K., D.D. Rocha, S.A. Alvarado and J.W. Tunnell. 1995. Benthic Invertebrate Abundance and Community Structure in Gulf Beach Habitats on Padre Island National Seashore, Texas Following the M/T Berge Banker Oil Spill. Report to Beak Consultants and Eastham, Watson, Dale, and Foney, L.L.P., Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. 17 pages.

Rocha, D.D., R.L. Lehman, S.A. Alvarado, J.W. Tunnell, Jr. and P.A. Montagna. 1995. A Comparison of the Benthic Community North and South of the John F. Kennedy Causeway, Upper Laguna Madre, Texas. Center for Coastal Studies, Technical Report No. TAMU-CC-9504-CCS. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. 33 pages.

Alvarado, S.A. and D. Rocha. 1994. Mollusca of Southwestern Gulf of Mexico Rocky Shores, Veracruz, Mexico. American Malacological Union, 60th Annual meeting, Houston, Texas.