Women in Coastal Science Speaker Series

Women in Coastal Science is an award winning six-part program series showcasing women scientists who tackle the challenges our coastal environment faces. From rescuing marine mammals and sea turtles to understanding the impacts of extreme conditions on our Gulf shores, these women in science will share their journeys in their fields of expertise. The fourth Friday each month from April through September, audiences gather at the R.A. Apffel Beach Park pavilion to be inspired. 

This program is a relaxed interview-style session between the scientist and moderator and encourages audience engagement. The program is free to all audiences and has hosted a diverse audience including men and women, youth and seniors, and persons of color.

2023 Women in Coastal Science

Get to Know the 2023 Women in Coastal Science

Karla Klay Headshot_Photo Creidit_Rotary InternationalKarla Klay 

Karla Klay is the founding director of Artist Boat. She has 30+ years of experience in arts and environmental education, eco-tourism, public engagement in coastal experiences, and development of programs to teach students and members of the public about coastal and marine ecology along with actions that result in improved environmental quality. Since Artist Boat's inception, over 180,000 participants have engaged in Artist Boat's unique eco-art programs and 898 acres of land on West Galveston have been preserved – forming the Coastal Heritage Preserve.

Women in Coastal Science Audio - Karla Klay


Headshot_A.MercerAnnie Mercer 

Annie Mercer is the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's Program Coordinator and Blue Flag USA administrator. She has a BA in Psychology from Hood College and a Masters in Forensic and Legal Psychology with a concentration in Intelligence Studies from Marymount University. She interned with ASBPA’s Government Affairs Committee in 2019 working on the “Local Funding for Coastal Projects: An Overview of Practices, Policies, and Considerations” and served as a Fellow in 2020. Annie has worked alongside her father at Coastal Transplants since 2003 installing vegetation and sand fence along the East and Gulf Coasts.

Women in Coastal Science Audio - Annie Mercer


headshot2Theresa Morris 

Theresa Morris is the Rehabilitation Hospital Manager for the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Reseach Center at the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus. They are the lead for sea turtle rescue, recovery, rehabilitation and research on the upper Texas coast. Theresa has a Bachelors and a Master's of Science in Marine Biology and over 15 years of experience working in the coastal sciences field.  

Women in Coastal Science Audio - Theresa Morris


Professional HeadshotTiffany Staten

Tiffany Staten is the Project Manager at PEA Group Houston. Tiffany is a University of Houston alum with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering. She currently has 8.5 years of experience in the civil engineering industry, and currently involved in the Houston branch of the Urban Land Institute, National Society of Black Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers.

Women in Coastal Science Audio - Tiffany Staten


Anna

Anna Deichmann

Anna Deichmann is the Project Coordinator for the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council (GINTC). She is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce and worked as a Coastal Waterbird field technician and Osprey monitor for Massachusetts Audubon Society before moving to Galveston in 2013. Prior to joining GINTC in 2019 Anna worked at the Galveston Bay Foundation as the Land Stewardship Coordinator. Currently she helps manage Galveston's Bird City Texas designation along with numerous other programs and leads walks at the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve.


Virgie Greb

Virgie Greb is a Marine and Coastal Management and Science (MCMS) doctoral student at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Virgie’s dissertation research addresses the urgent need to better understand how the economic activity that supports our coastal communities is related to the quality of our beaches and waters. Her research explores the coupled issues of economics by developing the Galveston BEACH (Beaches, Economic Activity, and Community Health) Report Card. The BEACH Report Card will provide critical insights into these relationships and offer an evidence base to guide state and local decisions that promote sustainable economic activities along our coast.