George Guillen, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Biology and Environmental Science,
College of Science and Engineering

Email: guillen@uhcl.edu
Office: D220

Biography

Dr. Guillen is a professor of environmental science and biology and the executive director for the Environmental Institute of Houston. He received his B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M at Galveston, M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Texas School of Public Health. He is an AFS Certified Fisheries Scientist and an ESA Certified Ecologist.

Dr. Guillen has published over 35 peer-reviewed papers, 70 technical reports, and 155+ conference presentations. Dr. Guillen is the member of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), Texas Chapter of AFS, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists (AIFRB), American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), Association of Limnologists and Oceanographers (ASLO), Ecological Society of America (ESA), American Water Resources Association (AWRA), Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS), Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and Texas Academy of Science (TAS).

He is also actively involved in professional services, including serving as the Chair of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) Monitoring and Research Advisory Committee, a member of the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers and Galveston Bay Basin and Bay Expert Science Team (BBEST) – Environmental Flows Committee and a Member of the Brazos River (BBEST) – Environmental Flows Committee and a member of the Pollution Committee of the Southern Division of the AFS.

Dr. Guillen has been a peer reviewer for multiple journals, and has served on proposal reviewer panels for Texas Sea Grant, Texas Academy of Science, NOAA MARFIN and the NOAA Salston-Kennedy Research Program.

Dr. Guillen was awarded the Certified Fisheries Scientist designation by the AFS in 1988, and the Certified Senior Ecologist by ESA in 1997. He was provided an award of Special Recognition by the Western Division of the AFS in 2004, Award of Special Recognition as a Fisheries Educator by the TX Chapter of AFS in 2013. He was given an award of special recognition from the TX Chapter of AFS for his service as the Chapter President in 2013. He received the UHCL Faculty Research Million Dollar Club in 2014 and Five Million Dollar Club in 2018.

Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Expertise

Fisheries Science
Marine Biology
Limnology
Ecotoxicology

Publications

Garcia, K.L., Gordon, M., Munscher, E.C., Ricardez, V., Franklin, C.J., and Guillen, G.J. 2025. Use of a handheld metal detector to evaluate metal ingestion in the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii (Troost, 1835). Herpetology Notes 18(2025):667–670.

Oakley, J.W., Swinford, J., Curtis, S., Anderson, J., Sak, A., Underwood, E., Davis, S., Fredrickson, A., and Guillen, G. 2025. Eel ramps and environmental DNA reveal a preliminary recruitment window of the American eel in Texas. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 17(3):1-11. doi: 10.1093/mcfafs/vtaf007

Doyal, S.L., Oakley, J.W., and Guillen, G. 2024. Dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) density, distribution, and habitat use in Texas. Estuaries and Coasts. doi: 10.1007/s12237-024-01423-x

Gordon, M., Guillen, G.J., Franklin, C.J., and Ricardez, V. 2021. Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Texas Diamond-backed terrapin). Malocclusion (prognathism). Herpetological Review 52(4):847-848.

Gordon, M., Guillen, G.J., Franklin, C.J., and Ricardez, V. 2021. Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Texas Diamond-backed Terrapin) – Malocclusion (Prognathism). Herpetological Review 52(4): 87-848.

Metz T., Gordon M., Mokrech M. and Guillen G. 2020. Movements of Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Nearshore Waters of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:647. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00647

Oakley, J.W. and G. Guillen. 2020. Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Galveston Bay Saltmarsh Nekton Communities. Estuaries and Coasts. Special Issue: Impact of 2017 Hurricanes.

Oakley, J.W., A. M. Lawing, G. Guillen and F. Gelwick. 2018. Defining ecologically, geographically, and politically coherent boundaries for the Northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region: facilitating ecosystem-based management. Ocean and Coastal Management 154:1-7.

Guillen, G., G. Rainey and M. Morin. 2004. A simple rapid approach using coupled multivariate statistical methods, GIS and trajectory models to delineate areas of common oil spill risk. Journal of Marine Systems. 45:221-236.

Research Projects

2024-2027 Galveston Bay Oyster Sentinel Project – GBEP Co-PI $297K

Awards and Accomplishments

AFS Certified Fisheries Scientist – 1988
ESA Certified Senior Ecologist – 1997
Award of Special Recognition – Western Division of the American Fisheries Society. 2004.
Award of Special Recognition – Fisheries Educator – Texas Chapter of the AFS -2013
Award of Recognition – President TCAFS – Texas Chapter of the AFS – 2013
Faculty Research Million Dollar Club – UHCL – 2014
Nominated for the UHCL Piper award for teaching by students – 2013.
Faculty Research 5 Million Dollar Club – UHCL – 2018