Marine Sciences & One Health

Tunes for Turtles: Texas A&M-Galveston Hosting Concert Benefiting Campus Sea Turtle Center

Texas A&M University at Galveston Executive Director of Information Technology John Kovacevich carries a sea turtle into the Gulf of Mexico after it was treated & rehabilitated from a cold stun at the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research.

Join our campus community for an evening of music and community benefiting our Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research (GCSTR) at the Texas A&M University at Galveston Campus Wednesday, March 30, 2022. 

Classical chamber music group Musica Tra Amici will play an intimate concert at the Aggie Special Events Center from 7 – 9 p.m. on campus. Attendees will also hear from speakers Chief Operating Officer Col. Michael Fossum ’80 USAFR (Ret.) and Executive Vice President for Engineering Panama Canal Authority Ilya Espino de Marotta ‘85. 

When GCSTR Director and Department of Marine Biology Professor Dr. Christopher Marshall was asked why he thought of a music concert as a fundraising event for sea turtles, he said that the overlap is conservation. 

“In the same way that musicians are dedicated to preserving and conserving the beauty of music, biologists like myself conserve animal species. We’re both trying to help make the world a better place for humans and animals alike. Without the efforts of the other, the world would truly be lacking.”

Marshall went on to say that the $15 ticket donation for the concert will go directly toward operational expenses within the GCSTR. Food, supplies, and experienced staff are crucial to the success of the facility and its flippered patients.  

“Honestly, the day we opened the center, we had already outgrown it,” he explained. “The upper Texas coast desperately needs a fully-functioning sea turtle hospital capable of helping more patients, especially considering the historic cold stun events we’ve experienced in recent years.”

Marshall and the GCSTR staff are dedicated to expanding not only the center’s medical abilities, but also its educational and outreach efforts. 

“We’ve already attracted some great folks, but we want more people to see, learn, and be involved with turtles. Plus, having such a facility on our campus will raise visibility and the reputation of our campus overall. Supporting the center is a win-win for Texans, Aggies, and conservationists.”

Purchase concert tickets here:  https://seaturtlecenterfoundation.com/products/symphony-fundraiser?fbclid=IwAR0VDs40VxcwpSRgqXabaoOakKOgYR3hAL5jQbAD_LAxp_8H9VL7QBQzzDA .