Dr. Joe Flanagan, Senior Veterinarian, Houston Zoo

Dr. Flanagan received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982 and began working at the Houston Zoo in December of that year.  Hiw work with sea turtles started in the mid 1980’s, helping out with headstarted Kemp’s Ridleys as well as caring for injured wild turtles.  He has overseen Houston Zoo’s Sea Turtle Hospital at NOAA’s Galveston Laboratory, and he also provides veterinary care to the turtles at the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research.

Presentation: 40 Years of Sea Turtle Rehabilitation on the Upper Texas Coast

Carolyn Pope

Carolyn Pope is the marine debris program manager at the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research (GCSTR). She found her passion for the ocean and marine biology spending her summers on the Gulf Coast and attending Texas A&M Galveston’s Sea Camp. Carolyn completed her B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University Galveston where she was an intern and undergraduate researcher at the GCSTR. She earned her M.S. in Marine Biology and Ecology from the University of Miami studying the environmental physiology of mollusks and volunteered in South Florida sea turtle nesting efforts. Returning to the GCSTR in 2025 as the marine debris manager, Carolyn leads marine debris removal efforts as part of a study of marine debris reaccumulation along the upper Texas coast to reduce marine debris impacts on sea turtles and shore birds.

Presentation Description: The Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research is the permitted lead for all sea turtle activities on the upper Texas coast. With over 200 permitted volunteers and responsible for 85 miles of coastline, the GCSTR responds to hundreds of sea turtle calls each year. Many of these strandings include sea turtles that are impacted by marine debris through entanglements or by ingestion. The center’s rescue and recovery, nest patrol, education and outreach, and marine debris programs spread awareness and expand sea turtle research in the region.

Joanie Steinhaus is the Ocean Program Director for Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN).

Joanie has worked at informal education and environmental sites including the Houston Zoo, the Lower Colorado River Authority and Turtle Island Restoration Network.

She has extensive experience in educating youth and adults about stewardship and conservation of our natural resources. Joanie has worked with a variety of organizations, both locally and state-wide, to advance conservation and sustainability issues. Her diverse knowledge and passion about the environment in Texas can be seen in her outreach work to local politicians, community groups, homeowner associations and the general public to help them understand the value of protecting the local flora and fauna. Joanie currently serves as a Sanctuary Advisory Member for the Flower Gardens Bank National Marine Sanctuary in a Conservation Seat.

Presentation:  Sea Turtles and the Plastic Crisis. The Gulf is home to five species of sea turtles, and the Trinity River has over 16 million people in it’s watershed. Learn what you are able to do to help save marine wildlife from entanglement and ingestion of plastic.

There are no sea turtles at this event.