George Guillen, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Science and Biology,
College of Science and Engineering
Contact number: 281-283-3949
Email: guillen@uhcl.edu
Office: N116
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