Facilities
The Coastal Studies Laboratory located on South Padre Island was established in 1973, and is dedicated to providing educational opportunities, enhancing research, engaging in public service, and providing community outreach related to coastal and marine concerns in the Gulf of Mexico with special emphasis on the South Texas region.
The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley has recently established a research and teaching program in Agroecology . Agroecology is the study of ecological processes that operate in production systems. A deep understanding of the ecological implications of the ways we produce our food, fuel, and fiber is required to effectively manage these systems in ways that are more environmentally sustainable. The Agroecology program at UTRGV combines student-centered research, education, and community engagement in various projects to address locally relevant issues that affect agroecosystems in South Texas, including in sustainable agriculture, community supported agriculture, urban forestry, and sustainable food systems.
The Department of Biology on West Campus houses an extensive collection of vascular plants and algae of South Texas. The West campus plant collection comprises around 6000 specimens and is registered in the International Index Herbariorum as PAUH. The herbarium was established by a former professor in the department, Dr. Robert Lonard, whose curatorial responsibilities were assumed by the present Curator, Dr. Andrew McDonald, in 2006. Algal collections are developed and curated by the department’s marine ecologist, Dr. Hudson DeYoe. The vascular plant collection represents a portion of the Lower Rio Grande Valley’s diverse flora (ca. 1100 native species) with considerable focus on the grass family. Algae collections represent elements of both the hypersaline Laguna Madre and Gulf of Mexico.