Shelby Bessette

Meet Shelby Bessette, a UTRGV Unsung Hero

Text by Cinthia Monsivais, student staff writer
Photos by David Pike: 
https://utrgv.news/ShelbyBessette

All through autumn the sun shines brightly down on the UTRGV Coastal Studies Lab on South Padre Island. With the Isla Blanca beach just a few steps away, tropical plants and warm golden sand line the staircase leading to the cerulean building where Shelby Bessette spends most of her workday.

As you walk through the front doors, a museum of shells and specimens collected over the years line the walls. At the center is a large aquarium, a microcosm of what Bessette gets to share with students and visitors who visit the lab. Her love and knowledge of marine life in the Rio Grande Valley is evident in everything she does and says.

“We’re teaching the younger generation and getting them interested, kind of like how I got interested when I was younger – spending time outdoors with animals and caring about those types of things,” Bessette said. “I think those are the links we are making with kids from first grade through freshmen level. I think it’s really beneficial that we’re letting children here in the Valley know about our coastal programs.”

NAME: Shelby Bessette       
JOB TITLE:
Program Manager
CAMPUS:
South Padre Island – Coastal Studies Lab
DEPARTMENT: UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Science

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
I manage the Coastal Studies Lab programs (CSL) including Outreach & Education, Red Tide Rangers, Texas Beach Watch and Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Response. I also provide education to local schools and public groups and am curator of the Coastal Studies Lab Museum and Aquarium.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
Two years at the Coastal Studies Lab, and two years as a graduate student of biology before being hired full-time at the Coastal Studies Lab.

DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY
My average day involves scheduling schools and other organized groups for educational activities, interacting with public visitors and maintaining the museum and aquarium.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB?
My favorite part is sharing my passion for wildlife and the environment with young students and building lasting connections to nature and animals.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY, OR STORY, ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
One of my favorite memories is from the 2018 cold strand sea turtle event. More than 200 sea turtles were brought into Sea Turtle Inc. over a weekend and, as their partner, the Coastal Studies Lab took in about 50 turtles before their release at Isla Blanca Park. Once the Gulf waters warmed, staff, volunteers and Texas game wardens came together to put on a huge release. There were 1,000 spectators at this release event, just in front of the Coastal Studies Lab!

TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I am Texas Master Naturalist and volunteer with Sea Turtle Inc. and the local bird banding community.

DO YOU FEEL A SPECIAL BOND WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
Yes, I am very connected to the community, especially as a local coastal conservationist.

I Am UTRGV