< Previous10 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2022 E veryone likes a comeback story and we have one to tell. Locals and visitors marvel at the sight of brown pelicans gliding through the air, often in V-formation. And part of the fun in going to fresh seafood markets is observing pelicans foraging for food — panhandling really. Traveling islanders are welcomed home by peli- cans flying along- side as we drive over the Galves- ton causeway. But as corre- spondent Kathryn Eastburn reports in this issue, it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when visitors didn’t see brown pelicans because they nearly disap- peared from our shores. Brown pelicans were federally listed as endan- gered in the 1970s and ‘80s because of pesticides in their food chain. Even before DDT came onto the scene, some humans mistreated the majestic birds, hunting them and intruding on their nesting grounds. But as you’ll read, some good humans helped pelicans recover, starting with officials declaring the brown pelican an endangered species and giv- ing them wide protection under federal law. The banning of DDT helped too, as did the cre- ation of protected habitat for the birds to nest, lay their eggs, hatch chicks and raise them until they could fend for themselves, Eastburn reports. Pelicans, with their trademark throat pouches and interesting hunting habits, are survivors like most inhabitants of the upper Texas coast. Maybe that’s why we have such an affinity for them. If pelicans are our symbol of endurance, the bottlenose dolphin is our bellwether, of sorts, island researchers say. “From a science perspective and a conservation perspective, dolphins are indicator species,” Vanes- sa Mintzer, research scientist with the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program, told writer Keri Heath. “Because they’re at the top of the food chain and they live long lives, their health and survival can be connected to the health of the ecosystem.” Ancient Greeks considered dol- phins a good omen and sailors have long consid- ered them a symbol of good luck. And islanders and visitors love seeing them frol- icking in the water. It’s easy to take pelicans and dolphins for grant- ed; they’re so much a part of our daily scenery. While we should celebrate the comeback story of the pelican and toast to the health of dolphins, we should remember their fates say a lot about who we are, and about our commitment to pro- tecting them and the other beautiful creatures that make us lucky to live here. LAURA ELDER Coast Monthly Editor FROM THE EDITOR COASTAL CREATURES SAY A LOT ABOUT USA trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience Carolyn T. Gaido REALTOR ® CLHMS, CRS, RSPS, SRS 713.851.3377 CarolynGaido@SandNSea.com CarolynGaido.com Sand `N Sea Properties, LLC Top Agent Since 1999 Michael J. Gaido, III REALTOR ® 409.457.4900 MichaelGaido.com Kimberly A. 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Boba Gottlieb Daiquiris-to-go from Spoony & Billy’s, then pool time! Mandie Martinez Working outside only early in the morning, rest of day stay in AC because I am old and smart. Sylvia Streater Walking into the giant fridge at Costco! Grace Munro My favorite way to be cool in the summer is to take a boat cruise with the Bimini top up, listening to tunes and sipping a refreshment on the way to a waterfront restaurant. Bobby Martin More fun indoor activities, like movies, pool halls and libraries. Jerry Jones Ice-cold beer joint with unlimited buckets and an internet jukebox! Randy Osborn Refreshing treats from Micho- acán A Pedir de Boca USA. Jenni Bahena Meador 12 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AUgUST 2022 SHORELINES WE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: Definitely using the pool, the AC and sitting on front porch enjoying a before- dinner cocktail! Fred Koperski A group of us bring our floats to the Country Club pool and float for hours visiting in the pool. We’re known as The Mermaids! Andrea Pieri Sunseri Chilling with our toes in the pond. And drinking extremely cold Tiki Wheat from galves- ton Island Brewing with frozen orange slices. Wydell Dixon Definitely the pool! Leroy Naschke III Acai Bowl from Lolo Kai! Tani Trahan What are your favorite ways to stay cool on the upper Texas coast? PHOTO: COURTESY LEROY NASCHKE (From top) Judd and Thuy Gottlieb ride a unicorn float on Dickinson Bayou; Leroy and Kelly Naschke’s summertime cool zone. “We spend more time out here than we do in the house,” Leroy Naschke said. PHOTO: COURTESY TOM BENNETTIf you suffer from back and neck pain, you have options when it comes to treatment. At Houston Methodist Spine Center at Clear Lake, we offer comprehensive spine care ranging from nonsurgical to minimally invasive surgery. Whether you are experiencing everyday discomfort or severe pain from a signifi cant condition or injury, our spine specialists provide advanced, personalized care — so you can get back to your active life. 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Expertise Ma ers When You Need BACK AND NECK CARE14 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2022 FEATURE ‘IT’S A SUCCESS STORY’ Once at risk for extinction, the beloved brown pelican makes a comeback story by KATHRYN EASTBURN | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA I t’s nearly impossible to visit Galveston Island and not see at least one or two lines of brown pelicans each day, flying in formation, gliding across the island with barely a wing flap, drafting off one another and riding the thermals above houses and hotels. Beachgoers know that from Galveston beaches they’ll see at least a few pelicans hover over the surf then plunge into the water, diving for their dinner just offshore. The sight of brown pelicans, wings extended some 7 feet wide, elegantly slipping through the warm air, their long, pointed beaks aiming toward their destination, is one of the uplifting sights islanders and visitors alike enjoy but often take for granted. That hasn’t always been the case. In fact, in 1970, esti- mates from various wildlife agencies counted somewhere between 50 and 100 brown pelicans along the entire Texas coast. Pelicans risked extinction if nothing was done to pro- tect the species. Visitors to Galveston Island and locals didn’t see pelicans because they were nearly gone from our shores.A brown pelican comes in for a splash landing in Galveston harbor. (Opposite) Texas Master Naturalist Steve Alexander has studied the comeback of the brown pelican from a species in decline to one that is thriving on the Texas coast.A brown pelican perches on a piling near the mouth of Offatts Bayou in galveston. (Opposite) Pelicans and other shore birds nest on a rookery island in galveston Bay near Tiki Island. Thousands of birds depend on rookeries in galveston Bay to nest, breed, forage and rear their young safely. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2022 17 FEATURE The culprit at that time was the synthetic chemical DDT, an effective insecticide developed during World War II and thought to be innocuous. Neighborhood children famously rode their bikes in the DDT truck cloud as it rolled through neighborhoods in the summer spraying for mosquitoes and other pests. But even before DDT entered the aquatic food chain, weakening the shells of pelican eggs and imperiling the species’ ability to reproduce, pelicans had been mistreat- ed and endangered by humans. “People hunted them and intruded on their nesting grounds,” said Richard Gibbons, manager of the Gulf Coast Conserva- tion Program for the American Bird Conservancy. “Even further back, the millinery trade killed them for their feathers. “We take for granted now that peo- ple generally leave nesting colonies alone, but people used to go out and have parties on their nesting islands in the bay and let their dogs run wild.” A few things needed to happen for pelicans to make a comeback. First, official declaration as an endangered species gave them wide protection under federal law. Second, DDT had to be banned. That momen- tous change occurred in 1972. And third, pelicans required safe, protected habitat on which to nest, lay their eggs, hatch chicks and raise them until the youngsters could fend for themselves. In Galveston Bay, pelicans nested on North Deer Island, a 144-acre outpost visible from the causeway between Tiki Island and Galveston’s West End, near Hitchcock. Steve Alexander, Texas Master Naturalist, author and Texas A&M University at Galveston retired adjunct faculty, became involved with pelicans when he and his students began monitoring North Deer Island and other rookeries in Galves- ton Bay, identifying plant life, counting nests and generally studying this important habitat. “North Deer Island is a deserted island that pretty much does its own thing,” Alexander said. “For the most part, plants find their way there on their own and it’s self-sustain- ing, but over the years, there were a number of efforts to improve the Intracoastal Waterway side of the island where big waves ate away at the shore, causing significant erosion.” The North Deer Island Protection and Restoration Project, launched by Houston Audubon in partnership with Texas Parks & Wildlife Division and the Texas General Land Office in 2000, built rock groins to slow down wave energy, and built berms and moved sediment to raise the is- land and encourage marsh growth. By 2008, the $3.2 million project had stabilized the island significantly. Today, thousands of brown pelicans nest on North Deer Island from February through August alongside many other thousands of great blue herons, roseate spoonbills, terns, egrets, ibis and other species, making the island a busy, pro- ductive habitat and the largest pelican rookery on the upper Texas coast. “Brown pelicans know where they’re going,” Gibbons said, commenting on how they often appear to all be JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News file photo “To me, the brown pelican demonstrates that good things can happen but there has to be an effort.” STEVE ALEXANDER18 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2022 FEATURE PROTECT BROWN PELICANS BY LEAVING THEM ALONE » North Deer Island in galveston Bay is strictly protected by state and federal law from human intruders during nesting season. Violators will be prosecuted. Boat tours are sometimes organized by birding enthusiasts but strictly are for viewing nesting species with the aid of binoculars from the water. There is no public access to North Deer Island. » Brown pelicans often hover around piers and fish-cleaning stations. Don’t feed them fish, said Richard gibbons, manager of the gulf Coast Conservation Program for the American Bird Conservancy. A misplaced fish can cause tearing of the pelican’s large throat pouch, designed to swallow fish in a very specific way. And juveniles must learn to fish on their own to survive. “When they’ve only learned to forage from by- catch from humans, they learn bad habits,” Texas Master Naturalist Steve Alexander said. heading in the same direction when they’re crossing Galveston Island and heading out to sea. “They’re going where the fishing’s good. If they’ve got hungry chicks back at the nest, they might have to go out and back several times in one day to feed them.” Taking their presence and visibility for granted would be a mistake, Alexander said. With higher water, warmer temperatures and the potential for bigger storms, precious bird habitat in Galveston Bay is vulnerable. Loss of bay habitat could drive the birds inland and northward to nest. “Every species requires a specific habitat, and whenever that habitat is removed or modified, it does have an impact on species, like brown pelicans, that depend on that habitat for their very existence,” Alexander said. “To me, the brown pelican demon- strates that good things can happen, but there has to be an effort. “It’s a success story because we did some- thing about it. You can’t just hope and wish; you have to take concrete steps to help spe- cies like brown pelicans survive and exist.” (Right) A brown pelican eats a fish in Galveston harbor. (Below) A group of brown pelicans await a free meal on the dock outside of Katie’s Seafood Market in Galveston.Racing • Skating • World Class Gym • Restaurant ROW (Coming soon - Zip Lining and Cinema) Y o u r F a m il y D e i n i o n FUN FOR 10000 Emmett F Lowry Expy Texas City, TX 77591 MAINLANDCITYCENTRE.COMNext >