The University of Texas at Austin Department of Marine Science is based at the UT Marine Science Institute, the oldest and most significant marine research facility on the Texas coast. UT marine scientists are changing our understanding of the world’s oceans and coasts and educating a global population dependent on the ocean ecosystem. We advance research, education and outreach through the efforts of our students, faculty and staff and the training of young scientists in cooperation with The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute.
Leadership
Dr. Edward Buskey
Chair, Marine Science Department
Director, University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Edward Buskey received a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the Graduate School of Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island in 1983. He came to The University of Texas Marine Science Institute in 1986 as a Research Scientist and was promoted to Professor in 1999. His research interests in marine science have focused on the behavioral ecology of marine zooplankton, and how sensory perception mediates behavioral adaptations for locating food resources, avoiding predators and finding mates. Much of this research makes use of video micro-cinematography and automated video-computer methods for image and motion analysis. These techniques have been applied to studies of the effects of dispersed oil droplets on zooplankton feeding and behavior. He also studies the roles of planktonic grazers in harmful algal bloom dynamics; field, mesocosm and laboratory studies demonstrate that a breakdown in zooplankton grazer controls and changes in the planktonic food web contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms. He also studies the role of freshwater inflows on estuarine ecosystem structure and function in relation to climate change and the increasing demands for freshwater in South Texas.
Lee Fuiman
Associate Director for Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory
Professor, Marine Science Institute, Department of Marine Science
Dr. Fuiman's research has spanned a variety of topics within marine biology, all relating to the behavioral and physiological ecology of marine vertebrate animals. He is actively engaged in aquaculture projects, including the development of culture methods for southern flounder to facilitate stock enhancement programs of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; and the development of more efficient and environmentally sustainable protocols for managing broodstock fish. Other projects are at the interface of basic fish biology, fish physiology and ecology.
Zhanfei Liu
Associate Chair, Marine Science Department
Professor, Department of Marine Science
As an organic biogeochemist, Dr. Liu is mainly interested in understanding the source, distribution and diagenesis of natural organic matter in the ocean. The cycling and preservation of natural organic matter are important processes of global carbon cycling, thus elucidating these processes helps better understand our current and future climate. Dr. Liu's research also includes understanding the source and fate of contaminants in the environment, such as petroleum hydrocarbons leaked due to oil spills and microplastics discharged to the ocean.