Anthony Lima

by Bailey Otter

Anthony Lima is a doctoral research assistant for the Community Resilience Group at the Harte Research Institute. He is a NOAA CCME scholar and PhD student in the Coastal and Marine System Science Program at TAMU-CC. Anthony obtained his M.S. in Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and his B.S. in Environmental Management from University of Maryland University College while serving in the United States Navy.

Anthony’s research centers around how we use coastal space with aquaculture through simulations and considerations for how the industry can more forward in the future. Anthony enjoys his research because, “there’s always a different angle, always something to think about.” He also enjoys the flexibility that comes with his research. His “creative ways of using data,” allow him to see the world through a variety of angles.

Anthony is most proud of his independent nature, which was largely increased by the nature of graduate school. “I will figure things out and keep working at them until they get done,” Anthony said. He advises people that wish to pursue a similar educational path as him to be open-minded towards change. He also says that being resilient in your efforts is an important factor to success in graduate school. “Just know it is not going to be easy,” he said. “You will have to figure a lot of stuff out on your own.”

When he is not at school or doing research, Anthony enjoys gardening and taking care of his seven chickens. He also loves going fishing. Additionally, Anthony enjoys traveling to the swamps of Louisiana. He says that “anywhere covered in trees and there’s no reception is a good place.” Regardless of what he is doing, Anthony loves to be outside in his spare time, as it is a way for him to decompress and forget about his daily responsibilities. “I spend so much time in front of a computer,” Anthony says. “I’m running models on my computer at home, and I am writing at Harte, so I really like to get away from all of that.”

After graduating in the summer of 2023, Anthony hopes to continue his work with aquaculture or resource management in some form, either with a state agency or in academia. He says that, although he doesn’t know the specifics, he knows that his research will always aim to answer one question: “How do we get better at what we are doing?”