In 1935, Rockport Marine Lab was set up aboard the houseboat "Vivian" in Rockport Harbor to assist the Texas Game, Fish and Oyster Commission with fisheries management. In 1947, a permanent lab was built on the harbor, a state of the art facility including a public aquarium. When the commission merged into the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., the lab began support of its Coastal Fisheries Division in long-term management of fisheries populations to ensure sustainable stocks of finfish, shellfish and other marine life important to commerce and recreation. The lab's research over the years has helped make Texas a national leader in marine fisheries management. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011