2026 is 50 Years for the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society!

The 2026 Texas Chapter AFS Annual Meeting and 50th Anniversary Celebration will be in January 15th-17th, 2026 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center, in Galveston, Texas.  Stay tuned to our website and listserv for update.

 

Meeting Documents

Schedule at a Glance

TCAFS 2026 Program_Final (New)

Registration and Lodging Information

Early Bird Discounted Registration for this year’s meeting will be $275 for Professionals and $100 for Students, and will close at Midnight January 2nd, 2026. Late registration rates increase to $300 for Professionals and $110 for Students, starting January 3rd. If you are part of an organization that will need one single invoice for all members, please use the Group Meeting Registration Form.

Individual Meeting Registration: 2026 TCAFS Meeting Registration

Group Meeting Registration: 2026 TCAFS Group Registration Link

Lodging for this year’s meeting will be at the Moody Hotel and Conference Center, located at 7 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554. Rooms this year begin at $110 a night, and must be booked via the booking link on the 2026 TCAFS Meeting Website by December 31st, 2026 to receive the discounted conference rate. 

Hotel Booking Link: Moody Gardens Hotel Booking Link

Student Travel Award

For the 2026 TCAFS Annual Meeting, the society will support up to five students to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting at no upfront cost. Each award covers conference registration and two nights of lodging (Thursday 15th and Friday 16th). This opportunity is designed to help engaged, motivated students participate fully in the meeting and advance their professional development. Award recipients will be required to attend Friday Afternoon’s Student/Mentor Luncheon and Friday Evening’s Awards Banquet, where they will be recognized. Awards applications will be due by midnight on Friday, December 19th, and award recipients will be notified by December 31st, 2025.

Student Travel Award Application: 2026 Travel Award Application

Call for Abstracts -Closed

The 2026 TCAFS Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts has officially closed. Submitting authors will be notified of abstract acceptance by December 31, 2025. For additional questions, email Kelley Kowal (kelley.kowal@tpwd.texas.gov.)

Limited Edition 50th Year Shirts

A special meeting calls for some special TCAFS SWAG! Please follow the link below to our “Limited Edition” Bonfire Storefront to order your TCAFS 50th Anniversary Shirt today! The first campaign will run till December 7th, and at that time orders will ship and we will open up another store for a 2nd round of orders.

50th Anniversary TCAFS Bonfire Store *Click Here*

Texas Chapter Student Scholarships

The 2026 Call for Student Scholarship applications is closed. If you have any questions about the status of your application, please contact Jennifer Butler – Scholarship Committee Chair at (979) 341-4972 text or by email at Jennifer.Butler@tpwd.texas.gov

TCAFS OFW and Best Student Subunit Awards

It’s time to recognize the incredible people behind the work that keeps Texas fisheries thriving! We invite you to nominate a colleague, student, or organization for the Outstanding Fisheries Worker of the Year (OFW) Award, one of the highest honors presented by the Chapter.

This award highlights exceptional contributions to fisheries-related work in Texas across multiple categories, including: Fisheries Administration, Fish Culture, Fisheries Education, Fisheries Management, Fisheries Research, Fisheries Technical Support, Fisheries Student, and Special Recognition in Fisheries Work.

Nomination Deadline: January 1, 2026
Submit Your Nomination: 2026 Nomination Form
Best Student Subunit: 2026 Best Student Subunit Nomination Form

Eligibility Requirements:

• Both the nominator and nominee must be TCAFS members.
• Exception: For the Special Recognition in Fisheries Work category, only the nominator must be a TCAFS member. This category may honor an individual or an organization.

Help us celebrate the dedication, innovation, and impact of those advancing fisheries work across Texas. Nominate someone today!

Calling All Artist – 2026 Call for Raffle Items

The TCAFS Publicity and Exhibits Committee is casting our net for artists interested in donating their creations to the January 15 – 17, 2026, meeting!

In past years, contributions have included paintings, pottery, crocheted and knitted pieces, woodwork, papier-mâché sculptures, leather goods, and so much more. We’d love to reel in even more of the incredible talent within our fisheries community in the new year. Anything can be donated, but people are sure to bite for fish-themed art!

Proceeds from the raffle and auction benefit the TCAFS Student Scholarship Fund, so every piece helps support the next generation of aquatic scientists. Let’s make the 2026 exhibit our most creative yet. Remember, it’s for the kids! If you’d like to contribute, please drop off your work during the first day of the conference (no pre-approval needed). The location and time will be provided in the upcoming TCAFS 2026 Meeting Program. If you have any questions, please reach out to Thea Fredrickson at anthea.fredrickson@lcra.org.

Thank you to our Meeting Sponsors

Gold Level

 

Silver Level

Bronze Level

If you would like to be a sponsor for the 2026 Annual Meeting and 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Please contact our Publicity & Exhibits Co-chairs Thea Fredrickson (Anthea.Fredrickson@LCRA.ORG) and Zoe Nichols (Zoe.Nichols@LCRA.ORG)