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https://youtu.be/F473xEqtfpg A llison Baldwin knows many of the students at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena likely will never have the opportunity to experience the wetlands around Galveston Bay. “We don’t have as ready access to the aquatic environment that a lot of the students down in Galveston do,” she said. The same can be said for Hailey Louviere’s students at Dr. Kirk Lewis Career & Technical High School, also part of Pasadena ISD. "A lot of them, they’re not going to leave the Pasadena and Houston area,” Louviere said. That’s where Wetland Connections comes in. A signature component of the Galveston Bay Foundation’s education curriculum , Wetland Connections is a year-long program that connects students in grades 6-12 to Galveston Bay through a series of classroom STEM workshops. In these workshops, students learn about the importance of Bay animals, human impacts on the wetlands, and how to become environmental leaders who take action in their community. The program culminates in a spring field trip to a local wetland on Galveston Island where students become scientists in the field and use the skills they learned throughout the year to study the environment around them. It is the students’ favorite part of the program, according to Louviere, whose class is participating in Wetland Connections for the second time. “They talked about it so much after the experience,” she said. Spots in Wetland Connections are limited, and schools must apply to be considered for participation in the program. Seventeen schools from across the Houston metro area were selected this year. Mini wetland habitats delivered to each school campus are an integral part of the program. Each pond contains several stems of native smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) that students study throughout the year by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data. The number of stems in each pond can double or even triple, and at the conclusion of the program, the plants are used in Galveston Bay Foundation’s marsh restoration projects. Delivering ponds to schools is just one of the many touchpoints Galveston Bay Foundation education team members get to have with students. “We start to create relationships with them and actually see that ownership that they’re taking in their wetlands and see that change in them,” said Megan Sambilay, an Education Coordinator with the Galveston Bay Foundation. Louviere sees the change in her students, as well, especially when they get out in the field. “The way they are in the classroom and the way they are out there is completely different,” she said. “I feel like they’re so much more involved in it.” While Baldwin said her students don't particularly enjoy getting dirty, the hands-on approach to learning about environmental science through Wetland Connections creates a more engaging experience for them. "Anything that they can actually put their hands on is hugely beneficial to any student,” Baldwin said. “Because now that they’re using their hands, they’re so much more engaged and they actually want to learn about what they’re doing without even realizing it.” Seeing her students begin to understand and care about the need to conserve and restore wetland habitats is what the program is all about for Louviere. “Having that lightbulb moment for them is so great,” she said.

https://youtu.be/eymtfxtqEqs A recent trip to Galveston Bay Foundation’s Sweetwater Preserve was anything but a typical day in the office for a group of volunteers from Aramco Americas. Ties and sport coats were swapped out for Kelly green T-shirts and waders. No florescent lighting in this workspace, just abundant sunshine occasionally filtered by soft white clouds. The volunteers got a head start on National Estuaries Week last Thursday by planting approximately 3,000 steams of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in roughly two hours as part of Fall 2022 Marsh Mania. “To see some of my co-workers who are always dressed up in their suits and ties be out here in the water up to their waist, it was a lot of fun,” said Stephanie Palmer, Corporate Communications Advisor with Aramco Americas. National Estuaries Week , observed Sept. 17-24 in partnership with Restore America’s Estuaries, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, and the Association of National Estuary Programs, is celebrated annually to increase public awareness of estuaries and to encourage people to become involved in the protection of these important natural resources. Galveston Bay is the largest estuary in Texas and seventh largest in the United States. The hands-on work done by the group from Aramco Americas was the latest in a series of volunteer restoration activities that have taken place around Sweetwater Lake in Galveston since 2014. “It’s a great way for them to get to see our work firsthand but also to really help us in a larger-scale effort restoring more acres of marsh and oyster reef all at once,” said Haille Leija, Galveston Bay Foundation’s Habitat Restoration Manager. Work over the past 8 years has included the construction of a living shoreline to combat erosion taking place along the western shoreline of Sweetwater Lake. Because the lake is a lower energy environment, recycled oyster shells have been used to create a reef structure offshore, which slows down wave action enough to allow marsh grass to be planted and grow behind it. In addition to protecting the shoreline, both the saltwater marsh and oyster reef provide critical nursery habitat for fish, shrimp, and crabs that are commercially fished offshore and throughout other parts of Galveston Bay. “Not only are you getting shoreline protection with these two barriers, the oyster reef and the marsh, you’re also creating that amazing intertidal habitat that’s providing that nursery area for all of those species to come in and utilize,” Leija said. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a slowdown in work at the site; however, it is Leija’s hope to complete the living shoreline project within the next year or two. The finish line would not be in sight without the effort of hundreds of volunteers who have contributed to the project. “We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers,” Leija said. “They help us make light of very heavy work.” The opportunity to get out of the office and make a positive impact in the community has kept some Aramco Americas volunteers coming back for nearly a decade or more. “The participation speaks for itself,” Palmer said. “We come out here year after year. Our employees are very vocal about what activities they like to do, and to be honest, Marsh Mania is one of the favorites.”

"What do you give somebody who has everything?” asked Marian Cornelius. While searching for a gift with extra special meaning, Marian and her husband Austin came across a unique option: adopt a dolphin. “When we go out on our boat, seeing the dolphins in our backyard is really phenomenal,” Marian said. “So, we thought it was a really cool idea to adopt a dolphin and have some kind of ownership.” For the past several years, the Corneliuses have been members of the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program’s Dolphin Society . People become members of the Dolphin Society by symbolically adopting and even naming bottlenose dolphins cataloged by the program. Adoption and naming proceeds directly support the program’s research to better understand the dolphins that live in Galveston Bay. The adopted dolphins have become popular family gifts, and Marian and Austin have had fun with it, too. “Around baseball season we were like, ‘Alright, we’re giving Astro.’” Marian said. Membership in the society includes an adoption kit (delivered electronically) in addition to a quarterly newsletter that informs members of the program’s latest research as well as the most recent sightings of named and adopted dolphins throughout the Bay. “It’s just really the gift that keeps on giving, so we kept doing that more and more and more,” Austin said. To date, the Corneliuses have also named three dolphins – Sheba, Shiner, and Olive – and plan to name a fourth soon. The names selected for the dolphins are in honor of deceased family pets. It is the couple’s way of remembering them while also helping to support the study of Galveston Bay’s bottlenose dolphin population. “We might be crazy, but a lot of times Shiner will be doing something that Shiner our dog did,” Austin said. “He’s always around the ladies, or something like that, and loves being in this part of the Bay. We’re like, ‘Shiner would have loved that, too!’” The couple has learned a lot about dolphins through their membership in the Dolphin Society. For Austin, finding out dolphins reside in Galveston Bay was a bit of a surprise, and he was not alone. “I grew up in Katy, and I didn’t even know we had dolphins an hour away from where I grew up,” he said. “Coming to learn that was pretty fun. And then, we’ll bring friends out on our boat, and they don’t even know that dolphins exist in our region, the greater Houston area. It’s fun to let them experience that for the first time.” As a Kemah native who grew up near Galveston Bay, Marian was especially interested in learning how environmental factors, such as water salinity, impact the dolphins’ movement throughout the Bay. She cited the influx of freshwater from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 that forced the dolphins to find areas with a higher salinity as an example. “It makes sense, but I just never really thought about it,” Marian said. “When we had all that rain, it affected where the dolphins went. That was kind of an eye-opener.” After living in Houston's Heights neighborhood for 12 years, the Corneliuses recently moved to Kemah with their two sons Leo, 3, and Graham, 1. Their proximity to the Bay has allowed both boys to see dolphins in their natural habitat while also reiterating to Marian and Austin the importance of protecting it. “It’s just so cool seeing their excitement,” Marian said. “We need to protect our Bay for the future. We need more awareness to keep the Bay safe for future generations.” The Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program was established in 2014 as a partnership between the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Environmental Institute of Houston at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Click here for more information on becoming a member of the Dolphin Society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jra1Rplcac D ave Bulliner is a self-proclaimed “lab rat.” “I’m just like the little rats that run around in the lab,” he said with a smile. Bulliner's passion for lab work goes back to his college days at Southern Illinois University. He was a student worker in the zoology department, tasked with maintaining the channel catfish tank. His duties included routinely checking the oxygen levels and feeding the fish. Following a 44-year hiatus from the lab to pursue a career in retail management, the Illinois-native finally donned a white coat again in 2011. He wanted to do something “a little bit more productive” in retirement and joined the Galveston Bay Area Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists. There he learned about an opportunity to do bacteria testing as part of the Galveston Bay Foundation’s volunteer water quality monitoring program. “I said, ‘Pow, that’s what I want to do,’” Bulliner recalled. The foundation first started monitoring the water quality of Galveston Bay in 1992. Originally called The Estuarine Sampling Team (TEST), the program relies on a team of volunteers to collect and test water samples from locations around the Bay each month. The data loving Bulliner was hooked. “I think data is one of the most important tools that scientists have to use when they go back and check things they’ve done and what they want to accomplish,” he said. Bulliner shared his passion for bacteria testing with Mike Petitt, a retired physician who joined the Texas Master Naturalists in 2018. Bulliner was Petitt’s mentor and told him about the volunteer water monitoring team. It did not take much convincing for Petitt – a native Houstonian who grew up going to the Bay – to see the importance of the program. “We live down here. It’s an important thing to make sure our Bay is maintained,” he said. “If you don’t measure it, you don’t know it.” At the beginning of each month, Bulliner and Petitt can be found working together in the water quality lab at Galveston Bay Foundation’s headquarters in Kemah, testing samples from the Bay’s brackish waters for bacteria, specifically enterococcus. The leading cause of enterococcus in the Bay is fecal matter, most commonly from dogs. Septic tank overflow and over fertilization of yards can also cause spikes in enterococcus. Elevated enterococcus levels are especially common after dry periods followed by heavy rainfall, when a “first flush” effect occurs. “Think about that stuff when a heavy rain falls. Where does it go?” Bulliner asked rhetorically. “It causes problems.” To detect any potentially harmful levels of enterococcus, the two men always use the same procedure. They meticulously follow a laminated checklist – despite having done the same process countless times – to make absolutely sure they do not miss a step and have consistent results. "Just like pilots use a checklist,” Petitt said. Arguably the most time-consuming part of their duties is the paperwork. Multiple signatures are needed when a sample is received. The sample number, location where it was taken, date and time are all recorded into a log. Labels then need to be created and matched with the appropriate sample. Even the temperature of the incubator, which is always set at 41.0 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit), is checked and recorded. The actual testing process begins only after everything has been carefully logged and labeled. 10 milliliters from a sample is sucked up through a pipette and dispensed into 90 milliliters of ionized, enterococcus-free water. The mixture is then introverted 10 times. A packet of Enterolert, an agent that is ingested by the bacteria and has the property to glow under a blacklight, is then added to the mix and introverted another 25 times, staining the sample a yellowish color. After letting the solution sit for a full minute, it is then carefully emptied into a sample container with 50 square wells plus one additional at the top. Bulliner and Petitt painstakingly rid the wells of any air bubbles to ensure each contains an equal amount of solution. The sample container is then fed through a sealer before being placed in the incubator where it remains for 24 hours. The next day, the sample containers are removed from the incubator and placed under a blacklight. If more than 33 wells illuminate, a fresh sample from the site needs to be obtained so it can be tested again. If the bacteria level in the new sample is also elevated, authorities are alerted. Bulliner and Petitt both noted the water quality in various parts of the Bay can quickly change, but overall, they have witnessed an improvement first-hand in recent years. The Bay’s water quality grade on the Galveston Bay Report Card , published annually by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and the Galveston Bay Foundation, has gone from a B in 2015 to an A in 2021. Bulliner admitted the experience has changed him. “You get caught up in your work-a-day world, and you just don’t think what you’re doing to the wildlife,” he said. “It opened my eyes.” He has since stopped fertilizing his yard, installed two rain barrels to conserve water, and planted native plants around his home. It is his way of helping to preserve what he calls the “three W’s,” wind, water, and wildlife. “We can only do so much while we’re on this Earth, so we want to preserve the certain areas that we do have,” Bulliner said. Galveston Bay Foundation is currently in need of additional volunteer water monitors to take samples from sites around the Bay. If you are interested in volunteering, email us at waterquality@galvbay.org .

The second quarter of the year is when we expect to meet the most new calves, and this year was no exception! So far, the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program has documented over a dozen young-of-the-year (YOYs) that belong to moms in their catalog. By May each year, we typically start seeing large mother/calf groups in upper Galveston Bay. Studies in other estuaries have shown that dolphin mothers congregate in groups as a defense mechanism (to help keep predators and male aggressors away) and for social benefits, including calf care and social learning. One of the most interesting aspects of observing mother/calf pairs is seeing them copy and learn behaviors from their mothers and conspecifics (other dolphins). In June, GDRP researchers observed a group of dolphins that were initially behind a shrimp trawler. When the trawler pulled in its nets, the group moved to “bow-ride” a very small moving barge. There was barely any wake to ride, so it looked a bit silly! But, it seemed like that perfect opportunity for the small calves in the group to learn and practice their bow riding skills with their mothers. It was a short lesson though! As soon as the trawler set its net back in the water, the dolphins left the barge and went back to the trawler. Foraging behind trawlers is another behavior that calves may learn from their mothers. Please consider making a donation to support our surveys. You will help us answer important remaining questions about where these dolphins and their young live throughout the year. Have you seen dolphins in Galveston Bay or surrounding waters? Please tell us about it by filling out our sighting form . This is an easy and effective way to notify GDRP about when and where you have seen dolphins. Always follow dolphin safe viewing guidelines .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGlpTIGr4H8 T here is a popular saying around the village of Tiki Island. “Spat is where it’s at,” exclaimed Patty White, an island resident and a volunteer with Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Gardening Program. White, a retired math and science teacher, and her husband Don permanently relocated to Tiki Island six years ago. Shortly thereafter she was approached by her neighbor Maureen Wilde about participating in a new program – growing baby oysters from the dock at her home located on one of the island’s canals. “I actually did it just to meet people,” White said. “We moved down here, and it sounded like fun. Let’s do it!” Wilde and her husband Alan heard about the program in Bayou Vista and wanted to bring it to Tiki Island. “We said, ‘If they do it over there, we can definitely do it here,’” she explained. Four families, the Wildes, Whites, Longs and Wrights, started oyster gardening on Tiki Island five years ago. Now the program has blossomed to include approximately 45 island families. The requirements for being a volunteer oyster gardener are about as straightforward as the process for tending to them. Volunteers simply need to have access to the Bay from a pier or dock. The Galveston Bay Foundation supplies them with wire cages, mesh bags, and/or stringers filled with cured recycled oyster shells collected from restaurants that are suspended at least a foot deep in the water. Once a week, the volunteers pull their gardens ashore, rinse off any mud and debris, and shake out any “critters,” such as crabs and fish, that may have found their way inside the cages or bags. The oyster gardens are then left out in the sun for an hour to an hour and a half before being returned to the water to reduce algae growth. The goal of the program is to attract spat on the recycled shell substrate from nearby spawning oysters and then to transplant them onto Galveston Bay Foundation’s restored reefs around the Bay. “You start with a blank slate then several weeks later, you’re growing stuff,” White said. White’s grandchildren Chase, 13, and twins Kyle and Jake, 12, who live in Pearland, assist with cleaning the gardens when they visit their grandparents. “It’s fun to clean them off and see how big or small the spat is,” Chase said. And it’s not just White’s grandkids who get excited by what they find. “At any age you can always learn something,” White said. “This for me, in retirement, has been like, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know you could do this.’” Wilde expressed a similar sentiment. “It’s one thing to talk about something, but you can see after four weeks we have this many oysters already,” Wilde said. After oyster gardening for five years, the volunteers on Tiki Island have observed some interesting trends. The Wildes, who live bayside, recruit more spat than the Whites do at their canal-side home. The recycled shells in wire cages tend to produce more oysters than those in the mesh bags. And years with a lot of rainfall have yielded fewer oysters because of the increased freshwater flowing into the Bay. Last year was highly productive for the gardeners. On one shell alone, Wilde counted 32 baby oysters. “Each week it’s always an adventure because you never know what will come up,” she said. Aside from the personal enjoyment volunteers get from their gardens, there is a greater purpose to their work. “Look where we live. Our reefs are going away,” Wilde said. “...Oysters are an ecosystem, and they also stop erosion, and they play a major part in getting back a healthy Bay and healthy Gulf. “That’s why we do it,” she explained. “I mean, I don’t even eat oysters!” Oyster gardening has also brought the residents in the village together. The Wildes often host “Tiki happy hours” while cleaning their gardens in addition to “spat interventions” to assist new program volunteers. They also started a Facebook group called the Tiki Island Spat Lovers to share updates on their oysters and other marine life found in their gardens. “How many things can you do today that can get a community to get together and agree on one thing?” Wilde asked. “An oyster,” White exclaimed. Wilde laughed “An oyster,” she echoed. “And really enjoy doing it. I think that’s great!” If you are interested in becoming a volunteer oyster gardener, contact Shannon Batte at sbatte@galvbay.org or (832) 536-2265.

The Galveston Bay Foundation welcomed 120 “marsh maniacs” to the Bay on June 18 for Marsh Mania, the organization’s annual marsh grass planting event. Volunteers planted 15,400 stems of smooth cordgrass at three locations around the Galveston Bay system, restoring approximately 7 acres of wetland habitat in the process. “Planting marsh grass is hard work, and we are so appreciative of the effort put in by this year’s Marsh Mania volunteers,” said Emily Ford, Galveston Bay Foundation’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “The year-to-year transformations at our planting sites have been very dramatic, and we’re excited to see these wetlands continue to grow and expand.” A nationally recognized, signature community event, Marsh Mania engages local citizens in hands-on restoration activities while increasing their awareness and appreciation of the wetlands, which serve as a nursery habitat for various species of crabs, shrimp, and fish, among other critical functions. Twenty volunteers planted nearly 3,500 stems of smooth cordgrass at a 1.5-acre marsh restoration site at the Trinity Bay Discovery Center in Beach City. More than 5,000 smooth cordgrass stems were planted by 40 volunteers at a 3-acre marsh restoration site at Galveston Bay Foundation’s headquarters in Kemah, and 60 volunteers planted more than 7,000 stems of the native marsh grass at a 2.5-acre marsh restoration site at the Sweetwater Preserve in Galveston. Marsh Mania originated in 1999 and drew 1,500 volunteers who set a national record in its first year by planting nearly 70,000 stems of smooth cordgrass in a single day. The inaugural event created 14.5 acres of new habitat at eight sites around Galveston Bay. Twenty-three years later, more than 8,000 community volunteers have restored over 220 acres of vital salt marsh habitat at 99 sites around Galveston Bay. Marsh Mania 2022 was made possible with support from event sponsors including ExxonMobil, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Citgo, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, John P. McGovern Foundation, Odfjell, Reliant Energy an NRG Company, Transocean, and United Airlines.

The Galveston Bay Foundation announced plans for the inaugural Houston Oyster & SeaFest sponsored by Coca-Cola , which will be held Saturday, June 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park . The festival will feature a variety of acclaimed restaurants from throughout the greater Houston area and will also include live music, libations, educational exhibits and more. Event proceeds benefit the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program and habitat restoration efforts. Tickets for the festival start at $35, and VIP experiences are also available. For tickets and more information, visit galvbayevents.org . Attendees will have the opportunity to sample a variety of menu items including cooked oyster bites and signature seafood dishes from all participating restaurant partners. Event restaurant partners include: 1751 Sea and Bar, BB’s Tex-Orleans, Brennan’s of Houston, Captain Benny’s Seafood, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Frank’s American Revival, Harold’s in the Heights, Indianola, Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, the Palm Restaurant, Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House, and Willie G’s Seafood & Steaks.  The festival will also feature food trucks, beer, wine and vodka bars, and live music performances by Hunter Perrin and Thunderado and Kung-Fuze . All proceeds from the Houston Oyster & SeaFest benefit the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program. Started in 2011, the Oyster Shell Recycling Program has collected more than 1,300 tons of oyster shells from 26 restaurant partners located from Houston to Galveston for use in habitat restoration projects. To learn more about the program, visit galvbay.org/oysters. “We are tremendously proud of the success of our Oyster Shell Recycling Program and the habitat we have restored using shell that otherwise would have been thrown away,” said Bob Stokes, President of the Galveston Bay Foundation . “Funds raised through this event will make it possible for us to expand the program to include more Houston area restaurants and restore more habitat at a critical time for oysters in Galveston Bay.”  The inaugural Houston Oyster & SeaFest is made possible with support from corporate event sponsors including Coca-Cola, Avera, Corda, the Coastal Conservation Association, H-E-B, Intercontinental Terminals Company, and Phillips 66. Food and beverage sponsors for the event include Prestige Oysters, Barrier Beauties Premium Sustainable Oysters, Bloody Revolution, Deep Eddy Vodka, Miller Lite, Molson Coors, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer.

Galveston Bay Foundation Fighting For A Healthy Galveston Bay About Great.com

The Galveston Bay Foundation’s annual Bay Day Festival will return to the Kemah Boardwalk on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is the first time the event will be held in-person since 2019. The festival was held virtually each of the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This year’s entertainment lineup includes a pair of performances by musician and environmental educator Billy B . His interactive shows teach children of all ages about the wonders of natural science and include original songs and choreography. The complete lineup of performance times and presentations on the Kemah Boardwalk Main Stage is listed below: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Billy B 12:30 – 1 p.m.: Houston SPCA wildlife presentation 1:15 – 1:45 p.m.: Kemah Aquarium animal presentation 2 – 3 p.m.: Billy B  The event will also feature several interactive exhibits in the Lighthouse Lot and Main Plaza including hands-on encounters with alligators, snakes, crabs, and more. Attendees can also get their “wingspan” measured to find out what kind of bird they are and paint T-shirts at the popular Fish Print T-shirt Station sponsored by NRG . Additionally, eventgoers will have the opportunity to learn about Galveston Bay Foundation’s education, outreach, oyster shell recycling and dolphin research programs.  “We couldn’t be more thrilled to once again host the Bay Day Festival in-person at the Kemah Boardwalk,” said Emily Ford, Galveston Bay Foundation’s Volunteer Engagement Manager . “This year’s event features a wonderful entertainment lineup and plenty of exhibits for the entire family to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the smiles on attendees’ faces again!” The 2022 Bay Day Festival is made possible with support from event sponsors including the Gulf Coast Water Authority, John P. McGovern Foundation, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ports America, Port Houston, Reliant Energy an NRG Company, Targa Resources, Transocean, Houston Pilots, WR Grace Foundation, Odfjell, and United Airlines. The Bay Day Festival is a free event hosted by the Galveston Bay Foundation. Kemah Boardwalk parking fees and fees for amusements and food may apply. For more information, visit galvbay.org/events .

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, but there are many ways you can get involved, make a difference, and invest in our Bay all month long! Visit our Earth Month 2022 page, which will be updated throughout the month, to learn more about opportunities for you and your family to participate in Earth Month events and initiatives featuring the Galveston Bay Foundation and our partners. LEARN MORE

Many people often ask, "When can I see dolphins in upper Galveston Bay?" A recent study conducted by the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program indicates that both water temperature and salinity are factors in determining the presence of dolphins in upper Galveston Bay. We are thrilled to announce that our study  "Salinity and water temperature as predictors of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) encounter rates in upper Galveston Bay, Texas" was published in November in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Our main objectives in this study were to 1) evaluate if dolphins are found year-round in our primary study area in UGB and 2) investigate the effects of water temperature and salinity on dolphin presence in UGB. Dolphin presence was measured using "encounter rates" that are equivalent to the number of dolphins sighted (dolphins) per linear kilometer surveyed (km). Using multiple regression analyses, a statistical tool that identifies relationships between variables, we evaluated if and how water temperature and salinity predicted dolphin encounter rates. The results of the study showed that dolphins are present in UGB year-round but many leave during the cooler months. Every year, dolphin encounter rates will increase in UGB after the water has warmed to about 23 ° C (73 ° F - typically in May) and will remain high throughout the summer. However, if there is a drop in salinity, usually due to heavy precipitation and flooding, many dolphins will leave UGB regardless of the time of year and water temperature. In conclusion, water temperature and salinity are both very important factors in determining dolphin presence in UGB, and low salinity will supersede temperature. With these findings, we have scientific support to answer a question that we are asked often: "When can I see dolphins in upper Galveston Bay?" Unless heavy precipitation occurs and lowers salinity, June through September are the months of the year when you are most likely to see dolphins in UGB. But, you may be lucky enough to see them any time! Now that we have completed this study, we are eager to learn more about where dolphins go during the cooler months and during periods of low salinity. It is the primary reason that we want to survey more areas of the Bay, as we suspect that many dolphins hang out in lower Bay during the winter.  Please consider making a donation to support our surveys.  You will help us answer important remaining questions about where these dolphins live throughout the year.