A Hall County native is at the forefront of research into oyster populations, a touchy subject for some Lake Lanier advocates who fret over water releases to protect endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico. Lee Smee, associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is working on the effort with a team of researchers. According to the university, it is “the first study that suggests that preserving variety of eastern oysters is important in preventing worldwide oyster decline and maintaining a viable fishery.”