The funding will expand coastal education through new videos, weekly articles and a community beachcombing event.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has received a $25,000 donation to expand its beachcombing education and coastal conservation efforts.

Phillips 66 donated the funds for beachcombing sponsorship. 

According to Jace Tunnell, director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute, the donation is the largest ever received for the institute’s beachcombing program. 



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“This is a huge milestone for beachcombing,” Tunnell said. “We’ve never received a donation, especially of this size.”

Tunnell said the beachcombing program reaches about 3,000 people each year through in-person educational programs. Through social media, magazines and newspaper articles, he said the institute’s outreach reaches millions more.

The funding will allow the institute to expand those efforts and educate even more people about the plants, animals and other natural items that wash ashore along the Texas coast.

“This check is really going to help us broaden what we do and reach even more people about the stuff washing up at the beach and hopefully lead to conservation efforts through education,” Tunnell said.

The Harte Research Institute conducts research on a wide range of Gulf Coast environmental issues, including shark tagging, coral restoration, oyster reef restoration and water quality.

Tunnell said the institute focuses on collecting data that can help improve environmental policies and protect Gulf ecosystems for future generations.

As part of the new funding, the institute plans to produce 52 educational videos and 52 weekly newspaper articles highlighting discoveries found along Texas beaches.

The donation will also help fund a community-wide beachcombing event planned for Oct. 10, where participants will learn more about coastal wildlife and conservation.

Additional details about the event will be announced in the coming months.