ABOUT HER SELECTED PHOTO: When I think of “Health” and how it pertains to Galveston, my mind immediately pictures the estuarine salt marshesthat border the island. Not only do these grasses protect the shoreline from erosion and filter toxins from theenvironment, but they provide a nursery habitat for Galveston Bay fishes, birds, and other organisms. The health of ourcommercial and recreational fisheries populations depends on the continued protection and restoration of thisessential, coastal habitat as well as the nutrient-rich waters that flow into it. Click here to view all of her photos.

Laurissa Noack was born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, but always dreamed of living by and studying the ocean. She moved to Galveston after High School to study Marine Biology followed by Marine Resources Management at Texas A&M University Galveston (TAMUG). She fell in love with the fish, birds, and ecology of Galveston Bay and decided to stay! Laurissa currently works as the Program Manager for the Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring programs and lectures on Learning Theory at TAMUG. She competes with her fellow bird nerds in the Great Texas Birding Classic and volunteers as an Event Leader for Galveston FeatherFest to educate others about birding. In her free time, she goes fishing, hiking, birding, and camping with friends and family while taking as many photos as possible.