Texas Biodiversity Center

Coral reefs occupy just 1% of the seafloor but support more than 25% of all marine species, making them critical to ocean biodiversity. In the Caribbean, reefs are especially threatened because major reef-building corals are no longer reproducing successfully, and restoration efforts have had mixed results. Professor Misha Matz (Integrative Biology) warns that losing coral reefs would be both an environmental and societal disaster, affecting marine life, food supplies, shoreline protection, and tourism. To help prevent reef collapse, Matz and colleagues have proposed introducing resilient non-native corals from other regions to help rebuild Caribbean reef ecosystems.
https://cns.utexas.edu/news/features/can-scientists-proposal-save-coral-reefs-our-hemisphere

Are you in the neighborhood of the PAT building on the UT Austin campus? Check out our newly-finished "Raining Fish" display! It's all about the two recent fish falls we had here in Texas. The Ichthyology Collection was able to acquire some of the fish from these events. The Ichthyology Collection is one of the very few natural history collections on the planet to have fish fall specimens! Come check out the display on the north entrance of PAT.

Meet Stengl-Wyer Fellow Rebecca Clemons! Her research focuses on how amphibian immune systems respond to a deadly fungal pathogen. She is interested in understanding why some individuals are extremely susceptible to infection while others are highly resistant. Read more about her here in our latest blog post:
https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/news/features/meet-stengl-wyer-fellow-rebecca-clemons

The Billie L. Turner Plant Resources Center has the world's largest collection of Texas plants and has over one million plant specimens, including a sample collected by Charles Darwin! Check out this article about it in UT News https://utex.as/41ywXsB

Congrats to Dr. Amy Wolf (Assistant Professor - Integrative Biology), recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Student Mentoring Award! This award honors outstanding faculty support in their mentees’ academic & career development. https://shorturl.at/tuLsY

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Happy Earth Day from our Texas Transformation Gallery at Texas Science & Natural History Museum!

We’re inviting you to celebrate the planet with us this Saturday, April 25th at our Earth Day Celebration. 🌎✨

Drop in from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. for hands-on activities exploring tectonic plates, rocks and the geological processes that shape our world. Imagine a more sustainable Earth by transforming plastic waste into creative fashion designs (while supplies last). All activities are included with museum admission.

See you there!

https://sciencemuseum.utexas.edu/events/earth-day-celebration/

Congratulations to Dr. Hans Hofmann (Professor - Integrative Biology)! Hans is the recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring Award for his multi-faceted efforts as Faculty Mentor on behalf of the Stengl-Wyer Postdoctoral Scholars. This award honors and celebrates faculty members who demonstrate exemplary support and mentorship. The award highlights the importance of faculty contributions to their mentees' academic and career development. Learn more here: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/funding/awards/mentor

Just around the corner! Learn how to use apps like iNaturalist and Seek, tour the field station grounds, and participate in a blacklighting event after sundown . Free and open to the public. Saturday April 25th. Drop in anytime between 10 am to 10 pm. More details and registration here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bioblitz-2026-uts-brackenridge-field-laboratory-tickets-1985057683969

April's Science Under the Stars event "An Evening with Biodiversity Researchers" was a great success! Stengl-Wyer Scholars and Fellows presented their research and had tabling events as well.