Work: Texas State University – San Marcos Home: 2300 Westway Circle
Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Austin, Texas 78704
601 University Dr. (512) 448-0904
San Marcos, Texas 78666 Wmpulich@usawide.net
(512) 245-9200
wp10@txstate.edu
B.Sc. Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 1967 Biological Sciences (with honors)
Ph.D. Rice University, Houston, TX 1971 Biology (Physiology/Environmental Biology)
Major Professor: C.H. Ward (Chairman, Dept. Environmental Science)
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX. 1971–74
(Marine Botany studies with C. van Baalen)
Current
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (formerly the River Systems Institute), Texas State University, Research Fellow in Wetlands Ecology; Adjunct Associate Faculty member, Aquatic Resources Program, Texas State University
Estuarine freshwater inflow assessment; Integrated coastal and watershed resource management; Estuarine wetland ecology; Seagrass biology and conservation studies; Remote sensing of coastal landscapes.
2001- 2003
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Coastal Studies Special Projects Manager
Designed and wrote strategic plan for Texas Seagrass Monitoring Program; Conducted remote sensing studies of seagrass habitat; wrote reports on evaluation of freshwater inflow impacts to Texas estuaries.
1987- 2000
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Resource Protection Division, Austin, TX.
Coastal Studies Program Coordinator & Coastal BiologistLeader of multidisciplinary technical research unit that conducted coastal ecosystem
studies and wetland environmental assessments; Directed TPWD Bays and Estuaries
Program in evaluation of freshwater inflow needs of Texas estuaries, coastal fisheries
and wetlands; Conducted monitoring and GIS assessments of coastal wetlands and
seagrass using remote-sensing technology; Editor and co-author of Seagrass
Conservation Plan for Texas; Directed seagrass restoration projects.
1974-1987
University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas. Research Scientist
Conducted independent research on phytoplankton, seagrass, and saltmarsh Plant Ecology/Growth Physiology; Participated in multidisciplinary environmental studies of coastal ecological processes; Prepared grant proposals and directed funded research projects; Gave seminars and occasional class lectures; Supervised graduate student research.
Estuarine Research Federation Society
Society of the Sigma Xi (since 1970)
Southwestern Association of Naturalists
Who’s Who In American Science and Engineering (1996)
National Science Foundation, Environmental Programs, Proposal Reviewer
NOAA SeaGrant Program, Proposal Reviewer (regularly)
NOAA Sea Grant, Estuarine Habitat Program Technical Review Panel (1988 – 1992)
NOAA Coastal Ocean Program, Coastal Change Analysis Program participant, 1989 - 1998
NOAA Coastal Services Center, Charleston, SC . Program Review Panel, 2000
NOAA National Ocean Service, Estuarine Eutrophication Program Representative, 1997
EPA Gulf of Mexico Program, Habitat Committee Representative, 1988 - 2000
Texas Higher Education Advanced Research Program, Proposal Reviewer
Reviewer for:
Aquatic Botany Journal Southwestern Naturalist Journal
Estuaries Journal Environmental Pollution Journal
Marine Biology Journal Botanica Marina Journal
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Invited Instructor - Division of Life Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, July 1982. Taught
two summer courses in Marine Biology for Secondary Teachers.
Invited Instructor - University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas. Summer
Course in Marine Botany (scheduled 1987)
Adjunct Professor - Department of Biology, Corpus Christi State Univ., Corpus Christi, Texas (1978
- 1984). Served on masters student committees in Coastal Studies Program.
Adjunct Professor - College of Science and Technology, Texas A&M Univ.-Corpus Christi (1999-2001)
Taught graduate course in Coastal Resources Management (spring 1999).
Served on masters student committees in Coastal Studies Program.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Physiological ecology of aquatic plants, primarily saltwater species. (Seagrass productivity; Nutritional and edaphic requirements of seagrasses; Plant physiology of salt tolerance; Population dynamics of wetland plant communities; Freshwater inflow requirements of estuarine vegetation).
Restoration ecology of coastal wetland communities (Seagrass restoration techniques and dynamics; Revegetation responses of hydrophytes; Natural recovery of impacted wetlands).
Remote sensing of landscape dynamics of coastal vegetation/land cover (Monitoring seagrass community changes and ecosystem health; Wetland mapping using satellite imagery and aerial photography).
Pulich, W.M., S. Barnes and P.L. Parker. 1976. Trace metal cycles in seagrass communities. In
Estuarine Processes. Vol. I, ed. M. Wiley. Academic Press, New York. pp. 493-506.
Pulich, Jr., W.M. 1978. Photocontrol of boron metabolism in seagrasses. Science Journal, Vol. 200,
pp. 319-320.
Pulich, W.M. 1979. The ecology of a hypersaline lagoon - The Laguna Madre. In Proceedings
Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ecosystems Workshop, ed. P.L. Fore and R.D. Peterson. U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico. FWS/OBS-80/30, pp.103-122.
Pulich, W.M. 1980. Heavy metal accumulation by selected Asch. populations in the Corpus Christi Bay system. Contrib. In Marine Science 23:94-100.
Pulich, W.M. 1982. Edaphic factors related to shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii Aschers.) production. Botanica Marina 25:467-475.
Pulich, W.M. 1982. Culture studies of Halodule wrightiiAschers. edaphic growth requirements.
Botanica Marina 25:477-482.
Pulich, W.M. 1983. Growth response of Halophila engelmanni Aschers. to sulfide, copper, and organic nitrogen in marine sediments.975-978.
Pulich, Jr., W. M. 1985. Seasonal growth dynamics of Ruppia maritima and Halodule wrightii in
southern Texas and evaluation of sediment fertility status. Aquatic Botany 23:53 - 66.
Pulich, W.M. and S. Rabalais. 1986. Primary production potential of blue-green algal mats on
southern Texas tidal flats. Southwestern Naturalist 31:39-47.
Pulich, W.M. 1986. Variations in leaf soluble amino acids and ammonium content in subtropical
seagrasses associated with salinity stress. Plant Physiology 80:283-286.
Pulich, W.M. 1987. Role of subtropical seagrasses in trace metals cycling. Florida Marine
Research Publication No. 42:39-52.
Pulich, W.M. and R.S. Scalan. 1987. Organic carbon and nitrogen flow from marine
cyanobacteria to semiaquatic insect food webs. Contrib. Marine Science 30: 27-37.
Pulich, Jr. ,W.M. 1989. Effects of rhizosphere macronutrients and sulfide levels on the growth
physiology of Ruppia maritima and Halodule wrightii. Journal Exptl. Marine Biology and
Ecology 127: 69-80.
Rabalais, S.C., W.M. Pulich, N.N. Rabalais, D.L. Felder, R.K. Tinnin, and R.D. Kalke. 1989. A
biological and physiographical characterization of the Rio Carrizal Estuary, Tamaulipas,
Mexico. Contrib. Marine Science 31: 25-37.
Pulich, Jr., W. M. and William A. White. 1991. Decline of submerged vegetation in the Galveston
Bay system: Chronology and relationships to physical processes. Journal of Coastal
Research 7 (4): 1125-1138.
Pulich, Jr., W. and James Hinson. 1992. Methodology for classifying land cover and habitats
from Landsat TM imagery of the Texas coastal zone. In Proceedings of First Thematic
Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and Coastal Environments, New Orleans,
La., 15-17 June 1992, Vol. I, pp. 344-359. Published by ERIM, Ann Arbor, MI.
Pulich, Jr.,W. and J. Hinson. 1995. Application of multitemporal thematic mapper data to
change detection analysis of Texas coastal land cover. In Proceedings of Third Thematic
Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and Coastal Environments, Seattle, WA., 18-20
September 1995, Vol. II, pp. 469-482. Published by Environmental Research Institute of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Pulich, Jr., W. and J. Hinson. 1996. Development of geographic information system data sets on
coastal wetlands and land cover. Technical Studies Report No.96-1. Resource Protection
Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., Austin, TX. 72 p.
Pulich, Jr., W., C. Blair, and W.A. White. 1997. Current status and trends of seagrasses in the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program study area. Publication No. CCBNEP-20. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Austin, TX. 131 p.
Sheridan, P., G. McMahan, K. Hammerstrom, and W. Pulich, Jr. 1998. Factors affecting
restoration of Halodule wrightii (shoalgrass) to Galveston Bay, Texas. Restoration Ecology
Journal 6 (2): 144-158.
Pulich, W. Jr., W.Y. Lee, C.L. Loeffler, P. Eldridge, J. Hinson, M. Minto, and D. German. 1998.
Freshwater Inflow Recommendation for the Guadalupe Estuary of Texas. Coastal Studies
Technical Report No. 98-1. Resource Protection Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Austin, TX. 55 p. + Appendix.
Pulich, Jr., W. (ed.). 1999. Seagrass Conservation Plan for Texas. Publ. by Resource Protection
Division, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., Austin, TX with Texas Natural Resources Conservation
Commission and Texas General Land Office. 79 p.
Lee, W.Y., P. Eldridge, D. Buzan, and W. Pulich Jr. 2000. Freshwater Inflow Recommendation for
the Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary of Texas. Coastal Studies Technical Report. Resource
Protection Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX. 48 p. + Appendix.
Pulich, W. Jr., J. D. Tolan, W.Y. Lee, and W. P. Alvis. 2002. Freshwater Inflow Recommendation
for the Nueces Estuary of Texas. Coastal Studies Technical Report. Resource Protection
Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX. 69 p. + Figs & Appendix.
Pulich, W., Jr., B. Hardegree, A. Kopecky, S. Schwelling, C.P. Onuf, and K. Dunton. 2003. Strategic Plan
for the Texas Seagrass Monitoring Program. Resource Protection Division, Texas Parks and
Wildlife Dept., Austin, TX. 36 p.
Pulich, W., Jr., R. Fletcher, and B. Hardegree. 2005. Application of high resolution digital aerial
photography to monitoring ecological conditions of Texas seagrass beds. In Proceedings of
20th Biennial Workshop on Aerial Photography,Videography, and High Resolution Digital Imagery for Resource Assessment. USDA-ARS, Weslaco, TX, October 4-6, 2005. Published in CD form by Am. Soc. Photogr. & Rem. Sens., Bethesda, MD.
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