Daniel Coffey, Ph.D.

Dr. Danny Coffey is an HRI Fellow and Assistant Professor of Biology – Fisheries and Mariculture in the Department of Life Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. As a marine ecologist, his research centers on understanding the behavioral and spatial ecology of marine animals by uncovering the mechanisms that govern adaptation, habitat use, and movement through innovative technologies and quantitative approaches. Dr. Coffey’s research spans interdisciplinary collaborations with academic, government, non-governmental organizations, and local stakeholders to develop the knowledge and tools to conserve and manage our living marine resources. Dr. Coffey is currently a member of the National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel.

As an HRI Fellow, Dr. Coffey is working with Dr. Greg Stunz to develop a suite of habitat suitability models to establish historical baselines and predict future distributions of economically and ecologically important estuarine-dependent species along the Texas coast under changing environmental regimes. This project will provide a valuable baseline and priority-defining tool in developing vulnerability assessments and adaptive management strategies for natural resource managers to preserve the function of these estuaries as nurseries for living marine resources in the face of rapid anthropogenic and climatic change.