By Amanda Alaniz

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – FEB. 26, 2026 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s ongoing partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems II (CCME-II) is creating hands-on research opportunities that prepare the next generation of coastal scientists. 

Established in 2021 through the NOAA Educational Partnership Program, the CCME‑II is a Cooperative Science Center that builds on two decades of NOAA-CSC work with UTRGV, which joined the consortium in 2011 under legacy institution UT Brownsville.

CCME‑II connects UTRGV students and faculty with NOAA experts across the National Ocean Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the National Weather Service and other NOAA labs nationwide to conduct applied research on coastal ecosystem and community challenges and to train a qualified, NOAA-ready workforce.

“Environmental science is the future,” said Dr. Owen Temby, UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) professor. “NOAA is the world’s leading organization that governs the place where the most exciting stuff happens – where the air meets the sea meets the land. 

UTRGV CCME II graduate scholars (first row) (left) Sonia Duran, Valeria Garza, Sebastian Reyna, Nayelli Garcia, and back row (left) CCME II Director Dr. Richard Long (FAMU), Distinguished Research Scientist, Steven Morey (FAMU), institutional PI (UTRGV), Dr. David Hicks, and UTRGV CCME II Affiliated faculty Dr. Owen Temby, and Dr. Carlos Cintra Buenrostro the NOAA Biennial and Education Forum in Princess Ann, Maryland. (Courtesy Photo)

CCME-II research at UTRGV aligns with state priorities, such as aquaculture and managing healthy fisheries. UTRGV faculty collaborates with NOAA scientists and partner institutions to advance projects and train students.

The CCME-II team at UTRGV’s SEEMS includes:

• David Hicks, professor and institutional principal investigator.
• Carlos Cintra Buenrostro, professor.
• Alejandro Fierro Cabo, professor.
• Erin Easton, assistant professor.
• Owen Temby, professor.
• Anna Erwin, assistant professor.
• Diego Figueroa, associate professor.

The team is also supported by research associates, Leticia Contreras and Danielle Hewitt.

DEVELOPING FUTURE COASTAL SCIENTISTS

Since 2021, UTRGV has had 19 CCME-II scholars; currently seven graduate students and two undergraduates.

Students selected as CCME-II scholars receive full in-state tuition scholarships, monthly stipends, $8,000 in research supplies, professional development opportunities, travel support for national conferences and mentorship from NOAA scientists.

Graduate students may also undertake a 12-week NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunity (NERTO) at a NOAA laboratory, gaining applied experience, professional networking and potential employment pathways.

CCME-II program highlights at UTRGV include:

• Scholars Nayeli Garcia, Misty Lopez and Jose Cisneros participated in marine debris education outreach at Fiesta de Palmas 2025, engaging more than 200 people. The event was a part of ongoing research in partnership with NOAA Planet Stewards.
• Valeria Garza and Gaspar Najera served as student stakeholder members at the UTRGV Coastal Ecosystems meeting, contributing to resource planning at UTRGV’s Port Isabel facility.
• Owen Temby and Anthony Lima presented research on the economic and regional trends in Ecolabeling: Enhancing the Competitiveness of U.S. Seafood at the annual conference for the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.
• UTRGV scholars presented research at the NOAA 11th Biennial Education and Science Forum in Princess Anne, Maryland, covering covered topics from healthy oceans to resilient coastal communities and economies. CCME-II scholars Sonia Duran, Nayeli Garcia, Valeria Garza and Sebastian Reyna received recognition for their presentations at the forum.
• Owen Temby published in Regional Environmental Change and Marine Policy and discussed uniting social research with NOAA Cooperative Science Centers at the NOAA forum. He also presented at McGill University on research collaboration science and transboundary fishery management.
• Erin Easton, assistant professor and CCME-II faculty, received the Explorers Club Citation of Merit and was featured in a video by Schmidt Ocean.
• Leticia Contreras, research associate, taught a marine debris course as part of a NOAA Planet Stewards Award.
• Scholar Hector Leal received the Best Poster Award at the UTRGV STEM Conference.
• Scholar Pedro Solis presented at the Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting in Mobile, Ala.
• Alejandro Fierro Cabo presented on habitat restoration at the South Texas Conservation Conference.
• With the Port Isabel facility designated as an Organized Research Unit (ORU), UTRGV established a Marine Ecosystems Institute (MEI). Easton is the director; Cintra, Fierro Cabo and Hicks are also associated the institute.

ALUMNI IMPACT

Dr. David Hicks, and principal investigator, said the program strengthens the NOAA-aligned workforce through research and education.

NOAA CCME II Scholar Valeria Garza (cohort 4) visits thesis research field site near Boca Chica State Park, Texas. (Courtesy Photo)

“CCME-II students at UTRGV gain training and experience in NOAA-specific competencies allowing them to be more competitive for NOAA-workforce positions,” he said.

Several CCME-II alumni are now working across the country:

• David de la Garza, who graduated July 2024, is a biological monitor with Olberding Environmental in San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
• Mya Brown, who graduated July 2024, received the SEEMS’ Ocean, Coastal and Earth Science best thesis award for her research on habitat restoration and collaborative governance for the Bahia Grande. She is a research associate at the NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center.
• Sandra Leal, a December 2025 graduate, is now a fisheries research coordinator at the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign.

This partnership has strengthened UTRGV’s research capacity and leveraged new opportunities, positioning UTRGV graduates to contribute to coastal resilience, sustainable fisheries and marine stewardship.

To learn more about UTRGV’s CCME-II, visit https://ccme.famu.edu/ws/ccme/about-us/partners/utrgv.html.