Texas High School Coastal Monitoring Program Going Strong

For over two decades, coastal geologist Tiffany Caudle has been leading groups of students to Texas beaches to collect data on coastal geology as part of the Texas High School Coastal Monitoring Program at the Bureau of Economic Geology.

No two trips are ever alike, said Caudle, who has been the program director since 2000. She and the students have faced scorching sun and pouring rain. They have aided in seagull rescues and green sea turtle releases at UT’s Marine Science Institute.

But their primary mission has remained consistent: to take on-the-ground measurements that will help inform coastal research at the bureau and coastal management decisions at the state’s General Land Office.

“We use their data as checks against our remote sensing data that we collect for shoreline change analysis,” Caudle said. “The data the kids are collecting on the ground is helping us ground-truth the shoreline position.”

Last year, the program celebrated its 25th year of operation and recently completed its 413th field trip. Just like the shifting Texas shoreline, the program has undergone changes over the years.

The number of participating schools has increased from three to eight, with each school responsible for a field site or sites along the Texas coast. Caudle leads students from each school to their sites about three times a year, where the students collect three types of measurements: a beach profile, shoreline and vegetation line mapping, and observations about weather and wave conditions.

The program has also grown its digital presence. The program website now shares insights — all based on student data — about how hurricanes have shaped dunes, how beach restoration projects are faring, and the state of shoreline vegetation. The site also shares educational materials for students about coastal geology and ecosystems.

Opportunities for citizen science have increased over the years, said Caudle, with scientists enlisting members of the community to collect data on a range of research projects. Still, she said that the longevity of the bureau’s program and the influence of its data put it in a class all its own.

“It’s pretty unique,” she said. “I haven’t found anything this long term or where their data is out there for other researchers, scientists and decision makers to use.”

Of course, it’s not just coastal researchers who benefit. Caudle said the students take pride in being part of a research project that’s been happening for generations — and having an exciting research experience to share on college applications. The project is funded by a Texas Coastal Management Program grant awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management.