MSI Public Lecture Series

Beaches and dunes, including those on our coast, undergo a cycle of erosion during major storms and rebuilding in the calm between storms. Port Aransas and Mustang Island are fortunate to be protected by a wide band of strong, high vegetated dunes. This is our natural dune seawall and it provides the very best protection from destructive hurricane overwash, far better than a man-made seawall. Our natural dune seawall is our only protection from total destruction in a major hurricane.

Dr. Watson will explain the natural processes that affect beaches and dunes along the Texas coast.  A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Watson is a marine and coastal geologist with 40 years of experience studying the Texas gulf coast. He is an expert on sediment transport and has a thorough knowledge of the natural movements of sand in the surf, the dynamics of water movements, the geologic history of the Texas coast, and Texas coastal boundary law.