More than 8,000 acres of saltwater wetlands and more than 80,000 of freshwater wetlands have been lost in the Galveston Bay system over the last two decades. The staggering numbers come from the Galveston Bay Foundation, which is actively working to improve the situation, in part because the wetlands serve as a habitat for wildlife and provide a buffer for storm surge. As the wetlands vanish, we become more vulnerable to flooding and water quality issues.

While a majority of Houston seems to have avoided the wrath of tropical storm Alberto, Galveston residents experienced significantly elevated water levels as well as some flooding during the initial phases of the storm. As a coastal city, Galveston is no stranger to floods.

"When oysters get too much rainfall or too much saltwater, they will die. Right now, we have too much freshwater in Galveston Bay."

22,000 ships move through the Houston Ship Channel in a given year. In light of the Baltimore accident, KPRC 2 wanted to speak directly with leaders on these ships to see what their day to day job looks like.

The KPRC 2 Investigates true crime docuseries 'The Evidence Room' is in its fourth season, streaming exclusively on KPRC 2+.

Despite fishermen’s wishes to delay the season in hopes that oyster reefs recover from years of environmental stress, the state pushed ahead with a Nov. 1 start.

The latest figure is 68% higher than an earlier estimate of $34 billion, and it’s unclear when — or whether — Congress will appropriate the money to build the massive system of gates intended to protect the Houston region from storm surge.

Memorial Day started with a waterspout forming of the west end of Galveston Island.

Days after a massive fire erupted at the Shell Chemical Plant in Deer Park, business owners in the seafood industry are very concerned about the wastewater runoff from that fire that Shell has been funneling into the Houston Ship Channel.

There are many things that washes ashore in Galveston Bay, but this particular sea creature had left social media users confused and a bit disturbed. The eel-like creature was described to have a long, slender body, sharp teeth in a large, open mouth, short and stout fins and beady eyes.

President Joe Biden signed a large defense bill on Friday that includes a water bill that directs the Army Corps of Engineers on major infrastructure projects to improve navigation and protect against storms worsened by climate change.

Texans who purchased oysters since Nov. 17 should not eat them or consider throwing out after the Texas Department of State Health Services announced a recall of all oysters harvested in one area of Galveston Bay.

A major milestone has been reached for the program that works to better understand bottlenose dolphins in Galveston Bay.

An overdue boater was found dead a day after he was reported missing, the Coast Guard confirmed.

Galveston Bay is vitally important to the greater-Houston area. From recreation to industry and trade, the bay is a critical part of our life.

A crude oil leak at the Marathon Petroleum ‘s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City prompted road closures in the area Wednesday, officials said.

Guests aboard the "New Buccaneers" party boat on Galveston Bay encountered a pod of Orcas swimming away from the boat. GALVESTON, Texas – No, it’s not Sea World, but a group of fishing enthusiasts had an “once in a lifetime” adventure after a pod of orcas rode along with them on a boat. Posted by Galveston Party Boats, Inc. on Wednesday, March 17, 2021Harderman added he thought the orcas were a mix of pilot and killer whales, but many of them were identified as juvenile orcas. AdThe Facebook video posted on the Galveston Party Boats page quickly went viral Thursday, capturing attention nationwide. Orcas such as the species captured on the viral video are known to be endangered, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Bill Merrell, a professor in the Marine Sciences Department at Texas A&M University at Galveston and a former president of the school, sits along Galveston Bay as he talks about the Ike Dike project Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The Ike Dike is a coastal barrier that, when completed, would protect the Houston-Galveston region including Galveston Bay from hurricane storm surge. The project was conceived by Merrell in response to the extensive surge damage caused by Hurricane Ike in September of 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Ike Dike is a coastal barrier that, when completed, would protect the Houston-Galveston region including Galveston Bay from hurricane storm surge. Now the close call has renewed a debate about whether the Houston area should build a massive and expensive barrier to protect against storm surge. Galveston Bay is healthy, and fish and other animals thrive there because water circulates in and out of the gulf, said Bob Stokes, president of the Galveston Bay Foundation environmental group. “No hurricane storm surge barrier will ever protect us from 150 mph winds. No hurricane storm surge barrier will ever protect us from rain,” Stokes said.

GALVESTON, Texas – The Galveston Bay Foundation and the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) released this year’s official report card results for Galveston Bay. After looking at 22 factors divided into six different categories, it was determined that Galveston Bay’s overall health was graded at a C, which means “adequate for now.”Here is the breakdown:Human health risk: The bay received a C for this category. Habitat: This category received a D. People can support local restoration efforts, and volunteer or donate to help with projects. Water quality: While you may be expecting a poor grade in this category, this is the highest rank Galveston Bay received. Pollution events and sources: Galveston Bay received a C in this category, but the fix is simple.

The United Way and the American Red Cross are the principal agencies kicking into gear to help with the initial response and to help build communities back to normal. The American Red Cross is often on the scene before a storm moves in and stays long after its gone. Henry Van de Putte is the CEO of the American Red Cross, Texas Gulf Coast and gives the many options we have for helping the Red Cross help others. For those wanting to donate to the United Way agencies in that impacted area, they can text Laura to 40403And for those wanting to donate to the Red Cross, text Laura to 90999. Laura: A Near missthis timeKPRC Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley is joined by Jeff Lindner, meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District to talk about why Laura missed the Houston Metro and what to expect the rest of this hurricane season.

Following the historic flooding, researchers undertook a case study describing the effects of Harvey on bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the upper Galveston Bay. According to a study by the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program (GDRP), researchers observed a 73 percent drop in bottlenose dolphin encounter rates in the upper Galveston Bay and freshwater skin lesions were found on 96 percent of the observed dolphins. Galveston Bay Dolphin skin lesions after Hurricane Harvey (Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program)In the recently published journal Estuaries and Coasts, researches compared dolphin encounter rates for the months preceding and following Harvey to a year with no hurricane, examined shifts in habitat-based encounter rates, and evaluated the prevalence and extent of dolphin skin lesions. While most dolphins evacuated the upper portion of the bay, many remaining dolphins shifted habitats from shallow open bay to deep channels where salinity increased with depth. For more information on the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program, visit https://galvestonbaydolphin.org/.

HOUSTON – Members of Texas Equusearch recovered the body of a 20-year-old Crosby firefighter Tuesday morning after he was thrown from his Jeep into Galveston Bay Sunday night, officials said. Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Kent Zavala and his dog were thrown into the water after a three-vehicle collision on Galveston’s I-45 Causeway resulted in his Jeep flipping over. Both Zavala and the dog were thrown off the Causeway, into the waters of Galveston Bay below. On Monday, Texas Equusearch aided the search-and-rescue effort, even as the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search. Members of Texas EquuSearch have recovered the body of 20-year-old Kent Zavala,” officials wrote.

GALVESTON BAY, Texas – Some strong storms moved across Southeast Texas on Thursday afternoon and one of them produced quite the sight as it moved over Galveston Bay. Viewers shared these photos of a large waterspout that formed as the storms moved off the coast. No damage has been reported. If you’ve got any photos or videos you’d like to share, send them to us on Click2Pins or on any of our social media channels. Stacey C. SeabrookGary Renola Seabrook

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You can now explore Galveston Bay with a virtual field trip. It’s all part of a weekly video series from the Galveston Bay Foundation called, “At Home with The Bay.”The videos cover a wide range of conservation topics related to the Bay, like oysters, wetlands, bay biodiversity and microscopic ecosystems. Each video features a virtual lab, conservation craft, talk with a bay biologist and an activity of the week. “It’s important for everyone to learn about Galveston Bay, because we’re all connected. The Galveston Bay watershed goes all the way north of Dallas, all the way down to the Bay, so everything you do, where you live, directly affects the Bay and the animals that live there,” said Wilems.

GALVESTON, Texas – You can eat oysters cooked or raw, and many consider them a delicacy. Oyster fisherman like Raz Alili say they're in the fight for their lives being told they're not allowed to fish for oysters in Galveston Bay in water they say the state grants them license to do so. The 'they' to whom he's referring is Sustainable Texas Oyster Resource Management, or STORM. To that, oyster farms say they're getting a raw deal. Oyster farmers are calling on the state to step in and cancel a lease they said is baseless and illegal.