SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — The beach and dunes have two new experts who will be combing the coastline to preserve and restore the beach quality of life on both sides of the Island.
The city hired two shoreline management administrators who begin work this month. They will be tasked with taking care of all aspects of the Island coastline.
“What I’ve heard from very experienced people who have worked on the shoreline task force beach and dunes projects is everyone is impressed with them,” said Dennis Stahl, a SPI council member. “By having the two of them there, I think they’re going to get a lot of good stuff done.”
Patrick Barrineau joins the city as the new Shoreline Management Director and Brandon Hill joins as the new Shoreline Program/Project Manager.
“They are well educated,” Stahl said. “My expectation of them is to get their feet on the ground the first 45 to 60 days, develop a list of what they feel are priorities and move forward.”
Barrineau is originally from Columbia, South Carolina, and is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.A. in geography. He earned his M.A. in geography from the University of South Carolina and is scheduled to receive his Ph.D. in geography from Texas A&M University this August.
Barrineau has studied coastal systems and coastal management from the Carolinas to South Texas. He has spent a considerable amount of time in South Texas conducting research from the Mansfield Pass to the shore face of the Intracoastal Waterway Land Cut.
“I believe that the ecological, physical and human needs of coastal environments can be met by applying sound scientific principles to maximize the efficacy of conservation efforts while minimizing both direct and indirect costs,” Barrineau said,
Hill is originally from the Columbus, Ohio, area and earned his B.S. in ocean and coastal resources as well as his master’s in marine resource management from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Hill has worked with the Texas A&M University at Galveston’s Sargassum Early Advisory System since 2012, serving in the role of project manager for the past year.
“My work with SEAS has allowed me to take part in groundbreaking research from New Orleans to Panama, and present resulting research data to various organizations including NASA, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, the Texas GLO and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute,” Hill said.
