Download or read book Kayaking the Texas Coast written by John Whorff and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2011-02-10 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Few experiences compare with navigating a sea kayak through a large sandy bay lined with oyster-shell beaches, past golden sand dunes into rough ocean waters, then surfing back onto a wind-swept beach at sunset.”—from the Introduction Half of the nearly 400-mile Texas coastline is flanked by barrier islands. Behind them, large and small bays shelter estuarine marshes, oyster-reef communities, and sea grass meadows that teem with wildlife, creating a bird watcher's and angler's paradise. For an intimate encounter with these natural treasures, no other water craft can compare to a kayak. Veteran kayaker John Whorff’s Kayaking the Texas Coast is an essential guide for beginning and experienced kayakers to the many miles of shoreline that surround the shallow bays, lagoons, and islands of the Texas coast. Novices will appreciate this book’s detailed information about where to paddle and camp, what to see, and where to obtain additional information about safety and route planning. Accomplished kayakers will enjoy Whorff’s enticing route descriptions and other pertinent details on paddling the Texas coastline. Opening with an extended introductory text that covers kayaks and equipment, safety considerations and emergencies, camping dos and don’ts, and helpful resources, Kayaking the Texas Coast also lists useful websites and guidebooks. In the main portion of the text, the coast is organized into ten destinations, from the Galveston Bay complex in the north to Boca Chica State Park in the south. For each of these destinations, Whorff provides information on navigational aids, planning considerations, accommodations, and directions to launch sites before describing various paddling routes within each destination—around seventy routes in all. Each route is ranked for difficulty as “beginner,” “intermediate,” or “advanced.” Detailed maps and vivid photographs by the author complete the package. "Kayaking the Texas Coast is your must-have guidebook to the coastline and bays of the Lone Star State. Many miles of sea kayaking adventure are described, along with maps and discussion of the natural world encountered along the way. My copy will be riding in car and kayak with me. I look forward to seeing with my own eyes what the author has described and mapped."-- Natalie Wiest, founder and director, Galveston Bay Information

Download or read book Flyfisher s Guide to the Texas Gulf Coast written by Colby Sorrells and published by Wilderness Adventures Press. This book was released on 2009-03 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Flyfishers Guide to the Texas Gulf Coast is the definitive guide book on fishing the Texas Coast. Interest in fishing the gulf coast is exploding and the Flyfisher’s Guide to the Texas Gulf Coast gives you all the information you need for success. Nationally known author and saltwater flyfisher, Colby Sorrells, covers every aspect of saltwater fishing for the entire Texas Coast. He covers the fish, the flies, light tackle, tactics, and the best seasons. Colby covers the entire coast in detail with information on each specific area. He lists the fly shops, outfitters, charter captains, marinas, accommodations, and much more. There are 60 detailed maps showing every bay, cover, harbor, reef, island, park, marina, and boat launch. There are also seasonal fishing charts showing the peak seasons for each species of fish. This book is essential reading for everyone who fishes the great Texas Gulf Coast.

Download or read book A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast written by James B. Blackburn and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2017-10-13 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this powerful call to action, conservationist and environmental lawyer Jim Blackburn offers an unconventional yet feasible plan to protect the Texas coast. The coast is in danger of being damaged beyond repair due to the gradual starvation of freshwater inflows to its bays, the fragmentation of large tracts of land, and general public neglect. Most importantly, it is threatened by our denial that the coast faces major threats and that its long-term health provides significant economic benefits. To save coastal resources, a successful plan needs to address the realities of our current world. The challenge is to sustain an economy that creates optimism and entrepreneurship while considering finite natural resources. In other words, a successful plan to save the Texas coast needs to be about making money. Whether visiting with farmers and ranchers or oil and chemical producers, Blackburn recognizes that when talking about the natural environment in monetary terms, people listen. Many of the services we get from the coast are beginning to be studied for their dollar values, a trend that might offer Texas farms and ranches the potential for cash flow, which may in turn alter conservation practices throughout Texas and the United States. Money alone cannot be the only motivation for caring about the Texas coast, though. Blackburn encourages Texans to get to know this landscape better. Beautifully illustrated and accessibly written, A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast weaves together a challenging but promising plan to protect the coast through economic motivation, thoughtful litigation, informed appreciation, and simple affection for the beauty and life found on the Texas coast.

Download or read book The Laguna Madre of Texas and Tamaulipas written by John Wesley Tunnell and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Laguna Madre of Texas and Tamaulipas is the only hypersaline coastal lagoon on the North American continent and only one of five worldwide. Extending along 277 miles of shoreline in South Texas and northeastern Mexico, the lagoon is renowned for its vast seagrass meadows, huge wintering redhead population, and bountiful fishing grounds. Recent concerns about increasing human activity have focused attention on the long-term health of the Laguna Madre as growing population pressures, pollution problems, and dredging threaten this unique ecosystem. The Nature Conservancy, whose mission is the conservation of biodiversity through protection of habitat, recognized the need to compile all known information about the Laguna Madre in order to move ahead with a science-based conservation agenda. This book is the result. Taking an ecosystem approach to the study of this rich habitat, the authors first provide an overview of the natural history of the Laguna Madre and adjacent areas, including an essay on the importance of the region's private ranches. Succeeding chapters discuss the diverse natural resources of the lagoon—seagrasses, open bays, tidal flats, barrier islands, abundant waterfowl, colonial waterbird rookeries, sea turtles, and fisheries. A final section identifies information gaps, offers a conservation framework, and makes recommendations for preserving the biodiversity of this complex and special ecosystem. Over seventy years of literature on the Laguna Madre and surrounding environments has been synthesized here. With 150 figures and illustrations, the book is the first to take a broad and comprehensive look at both the Texan and Tamaulipan Laguna Madre. For scientists, conservationists, resource managers, and policy makers involved in the future of the Texas and Mexico coasts, the value of this book is clear. And coastal residents, birders, anglers, and nature lovers who want to learn about and take care of the Laguna Madre will find this to be an indispensable guide.

Download or read book Texas Gulf Coast Stories written by C. Herndon Williams and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2010-12-03 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The middle Texas coast, known locally as the Coast Bend, is an area filled with fascinating stories. From as early as the days of de Vaca and La Salle, the Coastal Bend has been a site of early exploration, bloody conflicts, legendary shipwrecks and even a buried treasure or two. However, much of the true history has remained unknown, misunderstood and even hidden. For years, local historian C. Herndon Williams has shared his fascinating discoveries of the area's early stories through his weekly column, "Coastal Bend Chronicle." Now he has selected some of his favorites in Texas Gulf Coast Stories. Join Williams as he explores the days of early settlement and European contact, Karankawa and Tonkawa legends and the Coastal Bend's tallest of tall tales.

Download or read book The Formation and Future of the Upper Texas Coast written by John B. Anderson and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2007-05-24 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With strong personal and professional ties to the Gulf of Mexico, marine geologist John B. Anderson has spent two decades studying the Texas coastline and continental shelf. In this book, he sets out to answer fundamental questions that are frequently asked about the coast—how it evolved; how it operates; how natural processes affect it and why it is ever changing; and, finally, how human development can be managed to help preserve it. The book provides an amply illustrated look at ocean waves and currents, beach formation and erosion, barrier island evolution, hurricanes, and sea level changes. With an abundance of visual material—including aerial photos, historical maps, simple figures, and satellite images—the author presents a lively, interesting lesson in coastal geography that readers will remember and appreciate the next time they are at the beach and want to know: What happens to the sand that erodes from our beaches? Can beach erosion be stopped—and should we try? How much sand will be needed to stabilize our beaches? Does a hurricane have any positive impacts? How much development can the coast withstand? This entertaining and instructive book provides authoritative answers to these and other questions that are essential to our understanding of coastal change.

Download or read book Texas Aquatic Science written by Rudolph A. Rosen and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2014-12-29 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classroom resource provides clear, concise scientific information in an understandable and enjoyable way about water and aquatic life. Spanning the hydrologic cycle from rain to watersheds, aquifers to springs, rivers to estuaries, ample illustrations promote understanding of important concepts and clarify major ideas. Aquatic science is covered comprehensively, with relevant principles of chemistry, physics, geology, geography, ecology, and biology included throughout the text. Emphasizing water sustainability and conservation, the book tells us what we can do personally to conserve for the future and presents job and volunteer opportunities in the hope that some students will pursue careers in aquatic science. Texas Aquatic Science, originally developed as part of a multi-faceted education project for middle and high school students, can also be used at the college level for non-science majors, in the home-school environment, and by anyone who educates kids about nature and water. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.

Download or read book Traveling the Shore of the Spanish Sea written by Geoff Winningham and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a work of sweeping breadth and beauty, Geoff Winningham has created a profusely illustrated, contemplative travel journal that showcases his talent as both a photographer and a writer and reveals his affection and respect for the two countries he calls home. In 2003, photographer Geoff Winningham saw for the first time both the southern coast of Veracruz, with its volcanoes, rain forests, and steep mountains, and the Texas coast near High Island, where the land seems to stretch endlessly, covered by a sea of salt grass. He decided that these two visually striking areas could be the beginning and end points of a photographic study that would also engage the two cultures in which he had lived for twenty years, the U.S. and Mexico. Now, seven years and more than a hundred trips later, Traveling the Shore of the Spanish Sea: The Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico is the result. In this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written book, Winningham also considers the role that the Gulf of Mexico played in the discovery and exploration of the New World. Winningham's journey begins east of High Island, in Port Arthur, where the images suggest a cautionary tale relating to the oil industry and the land. It ends twelve hundred miles down the coast at the end of an old, stone road in tropical terrain of almost indescribable beauty, overlooking the sea. In between, more than two hundred photographs include natural landscapes (ranging from unspoiled to completely despoiled), roadside architecture and signage, and images of people Winningham met. As he attempts to come to terms with the disturbing changes he witnessed to the coastal environment, the book also contains elements of a poignant, personal lament for what is being lost. Traveling the Shore of the Spanish Sea: The Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico will delight and enchant readers with its deeply felt personal narrative and the power and beauty of its images.

Download or read book Grasses of the Texas Gulf Prairies and Marshes written by Stephan L. Hatch and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The coastal prairies and marshes of the Texas Gulf Coast are among the richest grazing lands in the state. Traditionally they have been the site of some of the largest ranches in Texas; today the ranches are primarily cow-calf operations that use forage grasses as well as "tame" grasses such as Bermuda and some bluestems. This region is also an excellent natural habitat for upland game and waterfowl and is an important recreational hunting and fishing area. Urban and industrial development has increased in the region as well; since World War II the prairies and marshes have seen the greatest industrial development of any part of the state, and the effects of that development on the environment are of great concern. Grasses of the Texas Gulf Prairies and Marshes serves as a useful manual for the identification and study of grasses of the prairies and marshes adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico from northern Mexico to western Louisiana. This field guide is a systematic and descriptive treatment of the grasses found on that coastal zone and includes keys to the 98 genera and 303 species. For convenience in locating specific taxa, the grasses are listed alphabetically by genus and then by species within genus; common names are provided when they are known. Species descriptions include information on longevity, dimensions of the entire plant and of the spikelets, and descriptions of the grass's habitat and distribution and rating of its value for stock or wildlife. The notes on abundance, habitat, and distribution provide information on the ecological niche of each species. Where known, the requirements of the species, such as moisture, soil, and other environmental conditions are given. Heavily illustrated with line drawings of grass plants and plan parts, this field guide will be useful for stock raisers, wildlife managers, and environmentalists as well as grass taxonomists and range scientists.

Download or read book A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast written by Lynn M. Herbert and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since it was first published in 1929, more than eight decades ago, A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast has been the authoritative go-to book on gardening for Houstonians and Texas Gulf Coast residents. This fifth revised edition, written and edited by Lynn M. Herbert, has been entirely updated, expanded, and colorfully redesigned. In the process, information in the book was reviewed by over 100 professionals in related fields and by knowledgeable resident gardeners, men and women who generously donated their efforts to make this an invaluable resource for seasoned gardeners as well as neophytes and newcomers to the region. This edition, still in its handbook format, propels its content into the twenty-first century with a new emphasis on environmentally friendly gardening and native plants, including: Exhaustive plant lists describing the newest varieties as well as old favorites, with essential designations of plants native to the Houston and Texas Gulf Coast area Easy-to-read tables, full of details about caring for hundreds of local plants User-friendly information about your soil and how to make it most productive Chapters on major plant categories joined by additional chapters devoted to in-depth tips on azaleas, cacti and other succulents, camellias, ferns, and roses, along with the all-new "Grasses and Bamboos" and "Palms and Cycads" chapters A new emphasis on "The Edible Garden" with expanded chapters covering "Herbs," "Vegetables," and "Fruit and Nut Trees" Complete landscape instructions on how to plan and design your garden to fit your lot and your lifestyle, from a shaded setting to a fragrant garden, an oasis by the Gulf, a container garden, or plants to attract birds and butterflies Updated ideas on drainage, pruning, watering, and lawns and lawn alternatives A newly revised look at coping with "Weather Extremes" such as freezes, hurricanes, or droughts An encyclopedic index that includes both botanical and common names 672 pages with 435 color photographs of flowers, plants, and gardens - the cream of the crop from the coastal area Beloved and consulted for generations and called by many the bible of Houston gardening, A Garden Book is now even more indispensable. This latest edition reaffirms the commitment of the River Oaks Garden Club to preserving our environment, promoting sustainability, and planting with a purpose. Book jacket.

Download or read book Glorious Gulf of Mexico written by Jesse Cancelmo and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2016-02-22 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stunned by widespread ignorance about the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 Macondo oil spill, underwater photographer Jesse Cancelmo decided to turn his camera on the marine life of this 600,000 square mile international sea that connects five US states, six Mexican states, and the island nation of Cuba. With the goal of countering dismissive descriptions of a Gulf plagued with dead zones and overrun by oil rigs, Cancelmo set out to capture a world rarely acknowledged, let alone seen. Between the Gulf's rich shoreline habitats and its prolific oceanic communities, thriving amid dazzling coral reefs, brine seeps, canyons, salt domes, and hard bottom banks, are more than 15,000 species, including an iconic cast of sea animals: sperm whales, manta rays, whale sharks, manatees, spotted dolphins, and more. Capturing images from locations all around the Gulf, Cancelmo reveals the beauty and glory of these diverse habitats and species. Although this is a book of sensational underwater photography, Cancelmo intends it to be more than a celebration of oceanic beauty. He also hopes to inspire better understanding and appreciation of the natural marine habitats in the Gulf and to strengthen support for their protection and sustainment.

Download or read book Buildings of Texas written by Gerald Moorhead and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book, the first of two volumes devoted to the Lone Star State, covers the central, southern, and Gulf Coast region (the earliest areas of Spanish and Anglo settlement and the majority of the counties that won independence from Mexico in 1836) and includes four major cities--Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, and San Antonio."--Publisher's description.

Download or read book Texas Almanac 2000 2001 Millennium Edition written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Texas Coral Reefs written by Jesse Cancelmo and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2008-04-02 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just one hundred and ten miles south of the Texas-Louisiana border, beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, lie two coral reefs, together called the Flower Garden Banks. This coral community, the northernmost reef system in the United States and a national marine sanctuary, is home to hundreds of kinds of fish and other tropical sea life. Manta rays and turtles visit regularly, as do whale sharks and schools of hammerhead sharks. Other wonders include the annual mass coral spawns and a briny depression called Gollum Lake. Nearby are two other reefs. Stetson Bank, its top spotted with hard corals, mollusks, and sponges, is known for its diversity—from black sea hares to golden smooth trunkfish. At Geyer Bank, thousands of butterfly fish dominate a huge population of tropical fish whose density rivals that of the coral reefs in the South Pacific. Protruding from the flat, muddy continental shelf, these and thirty other natural reefs support an exceptional amount and variety of sea life in Texas waters. They sit amid hundreds of oil and gas platforms, which create their own special reef ecosystems. These reefs, equal in their profusion of life and color to the storied reefs of Florida and Hawaii, have not been widely known to Texans outside of a small group of scientists and divers. With extraordinary photographs and a knowledgeable first-person narrative, author Jesse Cancelmo instills an appreciation for the beauty and fragility of one of the state’s least-known natural environments. Texas Coral Reefs will inspire adventurers—both the underwater and armchair varieties—to enjoy these spectacular but little-known sites that lie so close to home.

Download or read book Environmental Characterization Report for the Gulf Interior Region Texas Study Area written by and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States written by Alan E. Bessette and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2019-07-15 with total page 629 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The weather patterns and topography of America's Gulf Coast create favorable growing conditions for thousands of species of mushrooms, but the complete region has generally gone unchartered when it comes to mycology. Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States at last delivers an in-depth, high-quality, user-friendly field guide, featuring more than 1,000 common and lesser-known species—some of which are being illustrated in color for the first time. Using easily identifiable characteristics and a color key, the authors enable anyone, whether amateur mushroom hunter or professional mycologists, to discern and learn about the numerous species of mushrooms encountered in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Wild-food enthusiasts will appreciate the information on edibility or toxicity that accompanies each description, and they will also find the book’s detailed instructions for collecting, cleaning, testing, preserving, and cooking wild mushrooms to be of great interest. Providing encyclopedic knowledge in a handy format that fits in a backpack, Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States is a must-have for any mushroom lover.

Download or read book Lighthouses of Texas written by T. Lindsay Baker and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gives the history of lighthouses in the state of Texas as well as the life and work of the keepers and their families.