Research Summary:

Thomas Whelan received his B. A. in Chemistry Austin College in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from Texas A&M University, College Station in 1971. From 1971 to 1980 he served as the Associate Professor in Marine Science and Geology at the Louisiana State University. In 1998 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas Pan American.

He is the Coordinator for the American Chemical Society-National Chemistry Olympiad for the South Texas Division. He serves as the Chair of Freshwater and Marine section of the Texas Academic of Science.

Current research interest includes investigation on the uptake rates and lethal concentration requirements for certain metals in seagrasses in the Lower Laguna Madre (LLM). In order for the Laguna Madre to function as a healthy estuary, the seagrasses must continue to thrive The rates and mechanism for copper incorporation in Thalassia will be studied by selecting a healthy "Thalassia meadow" and injecting copper solutions into the rhizoshpere sediments. Additionally, studies on the sulfur chemistry in the LLM sediments are also underway better understand the role of hydrogen sulfide toxicity to the seagrass. The role sulfide chemistry in metal solubility will also be studied by looking at Fe and Mn in solid and solution phases in the bare areas of a seagrass by measuring stable sulfur isotopes in the sediment sulfide and sulfate minerals (primarily Fe and Mn).