The Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program (GDRP) was established in 2014 as a collaboration between the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Environmental Institute of Houston at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Recently, the GDRP has grown to include more partners, including Texas A&M at Galveston and the National Marine Mammal Foundation. Our diverse team conducts both water and land-based surveys to better understand the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that live in Galveston Bay.
During boat-based surveys, researchers take photographs of dolphin dorsal fins. These photos are used for individual dolphin identification. To date, over 1,000 individual dolphins have been identified in Galveston Bay! Land-based surveys are conducted at the Dolphin Research and Outreach Station at Seawolf Park in Galveston where volunteers collect photos for additional identification purposes.
Citizens are provided volunteer opportunities to play an integral part in scientific research on both the boat and at Seawolf Park. Bay-users (ex: boaters, fishers) are also encouraged to participate in our research by submitting dolphin sightings to the GDRP.
Symbolically adopt or name a Galveston Bay dolphin to contribute directly to our Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program and become a member of our Dolphin Society. Our adoption kits make meaningful and unique gifts and support Galveston Bay wildlife.
Water Monitoring
With Data-Driven Information
Established in the early 1990s, Galveston Bay Foundation's Water Monitoring Team is one of the earliest citizen science water monitoring initiatives in Texas. Each month, trained volunteers self-deploy at designated sites to measure water quality and bacteria levels along Galveston Bay shorelines. This data is reported to the Texas Stream Team and Houston-Galveston Area Council to help inform decisions and fill data gaps in local, state, and national databases. Galveston Bay Foundation also uses this data to assess and adaptively manage habitat restoration projects.
View our data to learn more about your local waterway and find out about recreation saftey on Swim Guide.
Since Hurricane Ike swept across the Houston-Galveston region in 2008, the Galveston Bay oyster population has suffered, resulting in habitat loss and impacts to the commercial oyster fishery. To rebuild a productive and sustainable oyster population, Galveston Bay Foundation restores oyster habitat with recycled oyster shell and other suitable materials like limestone rock. Volunteers help collect oyster data through the Oyster Gardening Program and reef monitoring events. These citizen scientists analyze live oyster samples to provide a better understanding of oyster health throughout the Bay. This data is shared with academic and state partners, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to inform future reef restoration.