The Coastal Environment

To support all the interviews that reference the focus of Jim’s work, the Texas Gulf Coast, our crew spent nearly two weeks filming by land and drone the three major areas of the coastal environment: the upper coast near the Sabine River, the mid coast from Aransas Bay to Galveston Bay, and the lower coast from Rio Grande north to Padre Island.

Each area has unique characteristics and biomes. Along the lower coast we shot in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, home to many waterbirds and the endangered ocelot in a uniquely saline estuarial environment. Further north along the coast we shot in Port Mansfield, site of coastal wetlands, a healthy fishing area, and the site of the only cut in the Padre Island barrier island. Finally, at its northern-most point, we shot in the Padre Island National Seashore where we documented some of the best preserved sand dune systems along the coast as well as the home to many coastal bird populations and in Corpus Christi Bay, a thriving population of bottle-nose dolphins.

The mid-coast area we covered included the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, home to the wintering grounds of the last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes. North of the ANWR was the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area which displayed great wetlands and coastal prairies. Closer to Houston were Lavaca and Matagorda Bay. Matagorda Bay is a great example of wetlands and estuaries that are home to healthy populations of birds, and fish. Oyster reefs there are in the process of restoration by the bay’s guardian Matagorda Bay Foundation headed by Bill Balboa. Finally, we made our way to Galveston Bay. We photographed a great success story of wetland/prairie/living seashore restoration underway at Galveston Bay’s Virginia Point. This endeavor continues through the efforts of  Scenic Galveston headed up by Lalise Whorton Mason.



The Upper Bay was covered by filming in Houston Audubon managed Bolivar Flats—a wonderful beach frequented by large numbers and varieties of coastal birds—and The High Island system of birding sanctuaries. Nearby was another target of our work, the coastal prairies and woodlands of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Finally, at our northernmost point of our journey, were wetlands and marshes adjacent to the Sabine River. the McFadden National Wildlife Refuge and Sea Rim State Park.