The Department of Integrative Biology at UTSA offers undergraduate and graduate students research opportunities in four principal areas:

  • Aquatic Science
  • Conservation and Restoration Ecology
  • Natural Resources and Wildlife Management
  • Plant Biology

The Department also encourages collaborations among diverse research groups at UTSA, with other institutions, and with government agencies.

Visit each principal area for a more detailed description of the research activities performed. Contact the appropriate advisor of record or individual research faculty member to discuss the alignment of your research interests.

For those who are interested in undergraduate research, please see UTSA's Office of Undergraduate Research or contact Department of Integrative Biology research-active faculty members individually.

Research-Active Faculty

Check out our Student Research Programs.

Research Areas

The Aquatic Science area of study emphasizes the multidisciplinary study of aquatic ecosystems and the conservation plans and management strategies to protect them. Aquatic science focuses on biotic and abiotic aspects of freshwater ecosystems from the cellular level to ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems include aquifers, ephemeral and perennial streams and rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ephemeral rivers, wetlands, riparian habitat, and the interactions between aquatic and terrestrial habitat.

Sub-disciplines range from genetics to community structure of organisms, ecosystem and physical processes, climate change, and linkages between freshwater ecosystems and surrounding landscapes. Applied aspects include habitat and water quality assessment, indicator species, conservation, fisheries science, invasive species management, integrated water resource management, watershed assessment, human impacts, and restoration. Students in this field will combine their understanding of biology and species interactions with their understanding of policy and regulations for the betterment of the ecosystem and environmental health.

Coursework includes a core of required Environmental Science coursework covering a variety of interdisciplinary topics ranging from environmental systems, soil, water, global changes, environmental law, fundamentals of geographic information systems, and environmental assessment. Required coursework can be found in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog.

What can you do with an Aquatic Science Area of Study?

Students pursuing an aquatic sciences area of study will be well suited for careers in natural resources specifically focused on aquatic systems. Government agencies - from municipal to federal levels - employ graduates with an aquatic science background to conduct research projects or direct fisheries management programs in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Many nonprofit agencies also employ graduates with this background to manage and research areas of aquatic resource conservation.

Examples of careers in Aquatic Sciences include:

  • Fisheries Biologist
  • Aquaculture Biologist
  • Benthic Ecologist
  • Hydrologist
  • Marine Biologist
  • Park Ranger
  • Conservation Officer
  • Stream Ecologist
  • Water Quality Regulator
  • Wildlife Biologist
  • Water Treatment Scientist

Conservation and restoration ecologists and biologists apply ecology, biology, genetics, behavioral and population dynamics, and sustainability principles in the protection of biological diversity in healthy ecosystems and habitats as well as the restoration of damaged and degraded ecosystems and habitats. The disciplines of conservation and restoration ecology recognize the inherent value of various species and the system-wide processes and services they provide to the global environment.

Coursework includes a core of required Environmental Science coursework covering a variety of interdisciplinary topics ranging from environmental systems, soil, water, global changes, environmental law, fundamentals of geographic information systems, and environmental assessment. Required coursework can be found in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog.

What can you do with a Conservation and Restoration Ecology Area of Study?

The Conservation and Restoration Ecology area of study will prepare you for positions collecting and analyzing data for private environmental consulting firms and governmental agencies. These positions are prominently in the areas such as: delineation and restoration of wetlands, fire damaged woodlands, and overgrazed rangelands. Positions may include investigation and determination of native species reintroduction, and invasive species control.

The Natural Resources and Wildlife Management area of study focuses on the behavior and populations of species, and the conservation plans and management strategies developed to protect those species – including their habitats. Students in this field will combine their understanding of biology and species interactions with their understanding of policy and regulations for the betterment of the species, ecosystems and environmental health.

Coursework includes a core of required Environmental Science coursework covering a variety of interdisciplinary topics ranging from environmental systems, soil, water, global changes, environmental law, fundamentals of geographic information systems, and environmental assessment. Required coursework can be found in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog.

What can you do with a Natural Resources and Wildlife Management Area of Study?

Students pursuing a Natural Resource and Wildlife Management area of study will be well suited for careers in natural resources specifically focused on management, regulatory agencies, and wildlife biology. Government agencies - from municipal to federal levels - employ graduates with a natural resource and/or wildlife management background to conduct research projects or to direct land management programs in public parks, nature areas, and game lands. Many nonprofit agencies employ graduates with this background to manage their environmental holdings such as a conservancy, preserve or wetland.

Plants are vital components of the biosphere contributing oxygen and organic compounds to sustain life on earth. Through complex biochemical pathways, plants can monitor environmental resources such as minerals and water, and external signals such as light and temperature, to optimize growth, development, and yield. In addition to perceiving non-living factors such as those listed above, plants also recognize and respond to other living organisms through the production of complex specialized metabolites. Interactions of plants with other organisms can be positive, such as the production of pigments and fragrances by flowers to attract pollinators. In other cases, plants react to herbivores and pathogens by mounting defense responses. Not only can plant-derived specialized metabolites defend plants from attack, many of these compounds have therapeutic properties in the human body and are used as medicines to fight pain, inflammation, infections, and cancer.

Students doing research with faculty can work on intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways by studying plant hormones, plant-insect interactions, and plant-virus interactions. They will receive training in many different techniques including those for DNA, RNA and protein extraction, purification, and analysis; electrophoresis; chromatography; mass spectrometry; and microscopy. These techniques are useful for scientists pursuing careers in many areas of basic and applied sciences.