Antonio Cantu’ De Leija is a Graduate Research Assistant and Tunnel Fellow PhD student in the Conservation and Biodiversity Lab at at the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. His research focuses on modeling wading bird foraging habitat availability and how it may be affected by sea level rise. Antonio is originally from Monterrey, Mexico and earned his B.S. in Biology from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico and an M.S. in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University.

His research interests include wetland ecology, waterbird ecology, restoration ecology, habitat management and conservation; particularly the study of wetland ecosystem drivers and processes to inform habitat restoration and management for birds and other wetland-dependent species. For his dissertation research, Antonio will be studying the hydrologic dynamics of intertidal zones that control the availability of foraging habitats for wading birds in the west coast of Florida and potentially expanding to other regions across the Gulf of Mexico.

To learn more about Antonio’s research and interests, you can watch this short YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWc25yh0QPY