Charting Their Own Path: 2026 Texas Sea Grant Internship Recap

This summer, six undergraduate students from across Texas traded the classroom for hands-on experience in coastal science, outreach, disaster preparedness and applied research as Texas Sea Grant interns. Through two internship programs, they worked with Texas Sea Grant professionals on projects that support Texas coastal communities.

Five of the six interns, Leena Mitra, Emma Kohler, Sadie Berry, Hailey Reese and Chelsea Carrillo, participated in Texas Sea Grant’s annual Community Engaged Internship program. Madison Clickett joined the program through a separate Integrating Research and Extension Internship, which connects Texas Sea Grant funded research with outreach and community engagement. Across both programs, the interns worked with Texas Sea Grant staff to address coastal community needs while developing new skills and creating outreach publications or educational products.

Rather than being placed into predetermined roles, the interns applied for positions based on their academic and career interests, giving them the opportunity to choose a path that aligned with their goals.  

Mitra and Kohler worked with Coastal Resilience Specialist April Taylor in Corpus Christi on disaster preparedness, creating supplemental materials for the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Coastal Natural Hazards. Mitra developed print and presentation materials on septic systems, water wells, power outages and extreme heat, while Kohler focused on sandbag use for flood mitigation and animal evacuation. Kohler also produced a demonstration video, gaining experience in filming, interviewing and science communication. Their work gave them a broader view of coastal resilience and the many professionals involved in it. They visited sites for a flood sensor project, met with emergency managers and worked with the National Weather Service on outreach about home fortification. They also presented their work to experienced professionals, building confidence in their ability to contribute to the resilience field.

Carrillo worked in Galveston with Coastal Resilience Specialist Madgellen Cleary on water quality and nature-based solutions programming. Over two months, she completed intensive water quality monitoring training through Texas Stream Team and earned certification as a water quality monitoring instructor. The certification required multiple training courses and a final assessment in which she demonstrated how to teach a water quality monitoring class. Carrillo also strengthened Texas Sea Grant’s water quality efforts through program development and video production. One of her main projects was scripting and filming a video for Texas Sea Grant’s programming page about the importance of healthy water quality and the partners Texas Sea Grant works with. After graduating from Lamar University with a degree in environmental science at the end of the summer, Carrillo plans to pursue a career focused on water quality and freshwater ecosystems.

In Galveston, Berry and Reese worked with Coastal and Marine Extension Agent Brandi Keller on youth and adult programming across a variety of focus areas, with an emphasis on seafood and coastal ecosystems. They helped connect seafood industry members with the public by interviewing people working in the Galveston area and sharing their stories with broader audiences. Their work also supported the Texas Seafood Trail by promoting the initiative and educating groups about the importance of sustainable seafood. Their work extended well beyond these projects. They assisted with sea turtle patrols, participated in the Texas City Dike monofilament research project, conducted oyster reef restoration surveys, learned about shrimping and supported youth camps, among many other activities. A typical day could include monitoring a monofilament recycling tube in the field and presenting their work to more than 100 Texas Master Naturalists that evening.

Clickett spent her summer working with Texas Sea Grant Assistant Director for Fisheries Alexis Sabine and Dr. Daniel Coffey at the Movement Ecology Lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Her project focused on shark depredation outreach, where she worked with local anglers to better understand their experiences and developed educational materials to help identify Gulf shark species and explore mitigation strategies. Presenting her work and speaking with the public also strengthened her ability to communicate scientific information to broader audiences.

Although their projects varied, the interns shared opportunities to present their work, build professional networks and work directly with coastal partners. A group field trip to Palacios gave them a chance to tour shrimp boats and an oyster farm while learning more about Texas’ coastal economy, but also a chance to bond and connect with one another. 

After a summer of research, outreach and fieldwork, the interns return to their communities with new skills, professional connections and a clearer understanding of how they can apply their education to support Texas coastal communities. And when they get the inevitable “What did you do this summer?” question, they will have plenty to share.

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About Texas Sea Grant

Texas Sea Grant is a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government, the State of Texas, universities, and communities across the state to create knowledge, tools, products, and services that benefit the economy, the environment, and the citizens of Texas. It is administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is one of 34 university-based Sea Grant Programs across the nation. Texas Sea Grant is a non-academic research and extension program at Texas A&M University. The program’s mission is to improve the understanding, wise use, and stewardship of Texas coastal and marine resources.