Kimber Montanye

EDUCATION

M.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, (expected Fall 2025).

B.S. Biology with a Marine Science Concentration, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, 2022.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Southern flounder are a highly migratory species of flatfish that depend on estuarine habitats for spawning and support economically important commercial and recreational fisheries in Texas. Foundational research has noted that regional populations of southern flounder have exhibited adaptive differences in habitat use and migration strategies.

My thesis will aim to provide new insights into the estuarine residency, habitat usage, and migration of southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) in Texas Bays. I will be conducting otolith microchemistry analyses to track individual and population movements between marine and oligohaline environments to allow for a more robust evaluation of essential fish habitat and current management strategies aimed at conserving this economically important species.

I am broadly interested in movement ecology, particularly in and between marine and estuarine habitats. I am hopeful that identifying the critical habitat usage and residency of vital sportfish will aid in the development of effective ecosystem conservation and fisheries management strategies.