How to fish Galveston from one of her guides. Shawn Zapalac's days on the water come together to give a down to earth plan to enjoy a day of fishing Galveston Bay.

Galveston Bay is the recreational center of the Texas coast—a fishing, boating and birdwatching playground for the almost four million people who live on or near it. A shallow estuary of about 350,000 acres, the bay supports a rich assortment of wildlife and a commercial fishery that pulls millions of pounds of crabs, shrimp, and oysters from the water each year. Gateway to the Port of Houston, Galveston Bay is also a major corridor for huge volumes of international shipping and is home to the nation's largest petrochemical manufacturing complex. How can such divergent and apparently contradictory activities all coexist? Setting out to find some answers, Sally Antrobus has produced a book for residents and visitors alike that tunes them in to what is happening in, on, and to the bay—the book she wished for when she first came to live nearby. Beginning with a short, incisive history of the peopling of the area, Antrobus describes how the bay works ecologically and how it is put to work, for recreation and for commerce; how nature both contributes to and controls the human enterprise there; and how power and politics can destroy all the bay has to offer. Antrobus serves as an expert guide for those who want to discover hidden destinations and attend events that celebrate the life on Galveston Bay. Her resources section offers a wealth of ways to become active in local conservation efforts, reminding us there is much to hope for but also much to do to ensure the survival of this great bay.

The Civil War history of Galveston is one of the last untold stories from America's bloodiest war, despite the fact that Galveston was a focal point of hostilities throughout the conflict. As other Southern ports fell to the Union, Galveston emerged as one of the Confederacy's only lifelines to the outside world. When the war ended in 1865, Galveston was the only major port still in Confederate hands. In this beautifully written narrative history, Ed Cotham draws upon years of archival and on-site research, as well as rare historical photographs, drawings, and maps, to chronicle the Civil War years in Galveston. His story encompasses all the military engagements that took place in the city and on Galveston Bay, including the dramatic Battle of Galveston, in which Confederate forces retook the city on New Year's Day, 1863. Cotham sets the events in Galveston within the overall conduct of the war, revealing how the city's loss was a great strategic impediment to the North. Through his pages pass major figures of the era, as well as ordinary soldiers, sailors, and citizens of Galveston, whose courage in the face of privation and danger adds an inspiring dimension to the story.

Galveston Bay is the recreational center of the Texas coast—a fishing, boating and birdwatching playground for the almost four million people who live on or near it. A shallow estuary of about 350,000 acres, the bay supports a rich assortment of wildlife and a commercial fishery that pulls millions of pounds of crabs, shrimp, and oysters from the water each year. Gateway to the Port of Houston, Galveston Bay is also a major corridor for huge volumes of international shipping and is home to the nation's largest petrochemical manufacturing complex. How can such divergent and apparently contradictory activities all coexist? Setting out to find some answers, Sally Antrobus has produced a book for residents and visitors alike that tunes them in to what is happening in, on, and to the bay—the book she wished for when she first came to live nearby. Beginning with a short, incisive history of the peopling of the area, Antrobus describes how the bay works ecologically and how it is put to work, for recreation and for commerce; how nature both contributes to and controls the human enterprise there; and how power and politics can destroy all the bay has to offer. Antrobus serves as an expert guide for those who want to discover hidden destinations and attend events that celebrate the life on Galveston Bay. Her resources section offers a wealth of ways to become active in local conservation efforts, reminding us there is much to hope for but also much to do to ensure the survival of this great bay.

Discover Galveston Bay takes readers to the water's edge, where they will learn about the bay's atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Galveston Bay is the largest estuary in Texas, and the Galveston Bay area is home to around half the population of Texas. It also houses the Christmas Bay Coastal Preserve, which is untouched by human activity. Rich in shellfish, including the majority of oysters harvested in Texas, Galveston Bay is one of Texas's most vital geographical areas. Colorful maps, diagrams, and photos provide readers with a close-up view of Galveston Bay. Book is aligned to curriculum standards and includes sidebar, activity, glossary, index, and additional resources.