George Guillen, Ph.D.

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

Dr. Guillen's general research interests and expertise include environmental sampling, analysis and toxicology, near coastal, estuarine, freshwater and wetland ecology, fisheries ecology and science. Some past and on-going research projects include: ecology of diamondback terrapin, larval fish ecology, environmental flow ecology, oyster disease ecology, wetland bioremediation and treatment, microplastics distribution and fate, impacts of chemical and oil spills on aquatic organisms. 

Focus Areas:

• Coastal, freshwater and wetland ecology
• Coastal herpetology, ichthyology & fisheries science
• Population and community dynamics and food web modeling
• Effects of altered climate, hydrology, habitat loss, oil spills, and water quality on aquatic ecosystems 

---

Publications

• Metz T., Gordon M., Mokrech M. and Guillen G. 2020. Movements of Juvenile Green Turtles (Cheloniamydas) 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. 2019. Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Galveston Bay Saltmarsh Nekton Communities. Estuaries and Coasts. Special Issue: Impact of 2017 Hurricanes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00581-7 
• 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.
• AFS Southern Division Pollution Committee (contributing co-author). 2017. Chapters 1-3. In: Southwick, R. I.,  and A. J. Loftus, editors. Investigation and Monetary Values of Fish and Freshwater Mollusk Kills. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 35, Bethesda, Maryland
• Alleman, B.J. and G. Guillen. 2017. Prey Availability and Diet Analysis of Texas Diamond-backed Terrapin  (Malaclemys terrapin littoralis). Chelonian Conservation and Biology 16(1):52-61.
• Alleman, B. J. and G. Guillen. 2016. Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Texas Diamond-backed Terrapin). Basking  Behavior. Herpetological Review 47(2): 286.
• Anderson, A., S. Heath and G. Guillen. 2016. A Time Activity Budget of American Oystercatchers Breeding In  Texas. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(3):656-663.
• Guillen, G. and S. Curtis. 2015.  Establishment of the Bluefin Killifish Lucania goodei in urban streams of Texas. The Texas Journal of Science 67(2) 79-84.  Published January 2017. 
• Hall, S.K., G. Guillen, H. Biggs, and R. Stokes. 2015. Volunteer’s Age and Its Relationship to Community-Based restoration. The Texas Journal of Science 67(4) 115-132. Published January 2017.
• Clarkson, E. and G. Guillen. 2015. Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Texas Diamond-backed Terrapin). Evidence of social or group burrowing in Diamond-backed terrapin. Herpetological Review 46(1) 83.

---

Courses (Current Academic Year)

• Wetlands – ENSC 5333
• Coastal and Estuarine Ecology – BIOL 5532
• Limnology and Freshwater Biology – BIOL 5537
• Limnology and Aquatic Biology Lab – BIOL 5517 
• Population and Community Dynamics – BIOL 5234
• Ichthyology – BIOL 5235 
• Ichthyology Lab – BIOL 5215
• Marine Biology – BIOL 3311 
• Biology of Fishes – BIOL 4313
• Biology of Fishes Lab – BIOL 4113
• Freshwater Biology – BIOL 4314
• Freshwater Biology Lab – BIOL 4314

---

Research Projects

Dr. Guillen's general research interests include environmental monitoring and analysis, ecotoxicology, near coastal, estuarine, freshwater and wetland ecology, fisheries ecology and science. Some past and on-going research projects include: ecology of diamondback terrapin, larval fish ecology, environmental flow ecology, oyster disease ecology, wetland bioremediation and treatment, microplastics distribution and fate, impacts of chemical and oil spills on aquatic organisms. 

Focus Research Areas:

• Coastal, freshwater and wetland ecology
• Ichthyology & fisheries science
• Population and community dynamics and food web modeling
• Effects of altered climate, hydrology, habitat loss, oil spills, and water quality on aquatic ecosystems 

---

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

---