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National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation Awards

As part of two distinct awards, the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation (NSTSTF) is building FIU’s capacity to support research related to the conservation of sea turtles. The two awards include:

  • NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship
  • NSTSTF Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Outreach Award.

These awards are only available for current undergraduate students.

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Award Information

The NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship Award will provide up to $8,000 to two undergraduate students who are performing research relevant to the conservation of sea turtles. These funds can be applied toward research-related travel, conference travel, materials and supplies, and student tuition and fees. 

 The application package for the NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship Award includes the following: 

  • A 500-word personal statement that includes how the chosen opportunity (see list below) will help you meet your career goals, aspirations, and research interests
  • CV or resume 
  • 2 letters of recommendation. Must speak to skills related to research and reliability / character.  
  • A copy of the student’s unofficial transcript  

Notes:

1) Students who choose to create their own internship or research project have additional components that need to be included in their applications. See more information about these additional requirements in the 'Create an Independent Research Project' section below.

2) Students also have the option of obtaining academic credit for their participation in the program. If you are interested in obtaining credit, please indicate this in your application. 

 

Application packages must be formatted into one PDF and emailed to Catherine Guinovart, Coordinator of Administrative Services for the Coastlines and Oceans Division in the Institute of Environment at cguinova@fiu.edu and Elizabeth Whitman, Assistant Teaching Professor, at ewhitman@fiu.edu before April 1, 2025.

If a student is applying for the NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship Award the subject line of the email should be “NSTSTF Scholarship Student’s Last Name”. The letters of recommendation for the scholarship should be emailed to cguinova@fiu.edu and ewhitman@fiu.edu with the subject line “LOR NSTSTF Scholarship Student’s Last Name". 

Available Opportunities

  • Marine Environmental Education Center

    Option 1: Education 

    To participate in all of the MEEC’s learning programs while cultivating professional skill sets in patron engagement and informal STEM education.

    Opportunities include: 

    • Participate in guest engagement
    • Support the development of program curriculum
    • Facilitate learning programs onsite (via field trips, special events, camps, and workshops) and offsite (via community outreach at resorts, libraries, and partner events)
    • Expand network of like-minded professional organizations and grow new post-internship job opportunities
    • Organize supplies and materials for learning programs
    • Cultivate classroom management, public speaking, science communication, and teaching skills
    • Assist in daily operations of the MEEC, including opening and closing procedures
    • Other duties as assigned

    Option 2: Husbandry

    The primary purpose of the internship is to provide hands-on experience in the care and management of animals in a professional setting. Interns will assist in daily care routines. Additionally, they will learn about animal behavior, and enrichment. This internship aims to develop practical skills in animal husbandry, enhance understanding of species-specific needs, and prepare individuals for careers in animal care, rehabilitation, marine biology, and conservation.

    Opportunities include: 

    • Prepare and distribute appropriate diets for various aquatic/terrestrial species.
    • Maintain feeding schedules and monitor feeding behaviors 
    • Clean and maintain animal exhibits, tanks, and enclosures
    • Perform routine water changes
    • Observe and document animal behavior, appearance, and health daily.
    • Test and monitor water quality parameters such as pH, temperature, salinity, and more
    • Assist in design and implementation of enrichment activities that encourage natural behaviors and mental stimulation for the animals.
    • Maintain accurate records of feeding, health checks, water quality, and other relevant data.
    • Engage with aquarium visitors to provide information about the animals, their care, and conservation efforts.
    • Follow all safety protocols and procedures to ensure the well-being of both animals and staff.
    • Other duties as assigned

     

  • The Science Exchange

    Option 1: Effects of seagrass abundance and human disturbance on green turtle distributions in Akumal bay, Mexico

    The scope of this study is to better understand the dynamics and interactions between anthropogenic and sea turtle use of the seagrass habitat in Akumal Bay.

    Specifically, the interns will:

    • Survey seagrass abundance, richness, and shoot densities to compare to historical data,
    • Quantify abundance of people in the water and their behaviors (e.g., harassment of turtles), and
    • Survey sea turtle abundance to determine spatial distribution relative to seagrass and humans. The combined data will allow us to estimate carrying capacity of the ecosystem to continue providing the ecological services of sustaining the tourism operations and to continue to provide food source for the growing sea turtle population at this location.

    Data collection will follow previous studies of the Bay (van Tussenbroek 2008, 2010; Figueroa 2014, 2015, 2016). The study will be carried out in the northern portion of Akumal Bay via snorkel using 15 existing transects perpendicular to the coast to the reef, with a distance of 30m between sampling points which are located with GPS.

     

    Option 2: Sargassum accumulation on the sea turtle nesting beach at Akumal Bay, Mexico 

    There are two species that nest on the beaches at Akumal: the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). You can find them feeding in Akumal bays, and sometimes you can see the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) around the reef or an occasional nester. Turtles return to their natal nesting beaches to lay their own eggs. But sometimes these beaches are no longer suitable habitat for egg-laying and incubation. One of the reasons can be too much sargassum on the beach to move around to find a spot to lay eggs. Sargassum has also been plaguing the Caribbean tourist beaches for the past few years.

    Specific tasks for this project include: 

    • Work closely with The Science Exchange director and local research site supervisor 
    • Quantifying sargassum abundance and age with transects along beach 
    • Quantifying turtle nests along the same transects 
    • Participating in night patrols for nesting turtles and nest excavations 
    • Compare nesting and hatching success with sargassum metrics 
    • Prepare results to present at the research center and other conferences 
    • Write up results in a scientific journal format
  • Dominican Republic

    Sea turtle behavior off the coast of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic

    Aside from studies of nesting beaches, the behavior and ecology of in-water sea turtles in the Dominican Republic are poorly understood. This opportunity will include assisting graduate student, Aloyse Abreu, who is investigating how green turtle habitat use and foraging behavior are influenced by food availability and quality as well as anthropogenic factors in Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

    • Work closely with a FIU graduate student to carry out international field research
    • Participate in training on the usage of drones for research, as well as policies and procedures for drone use including state, federal, and international regulations. 
    • Assist with drone surveys of turtles, boats, and human activity in the water
    • Conduct social surveys to assess local and tourist perceptions of sea turtles to inform conservation efforts in the Dominican Republic
    • Assess the impact of coastal dolphin sea pens on local sea turtle behavior
    • Participate in meetings with local partners to discuss planned research activities
    • Conduct local outreach on threats to sea turtles and share research activities with the public
  • Create an Independent Research Project

    Students also have the option of proposing any sea turtle-related internship (up to $3,000) or research project (up to $8,000) instead of applying under one of the provided options.  

    Students who choose to apply for the NSTSTF Rehabilitation and Outreach Award funding must provide the following information in addition to the general NSTSTF application requirements if they want to do an independent research project: 

    • A brief overview of the sea turtle-related research and/or education activities that will be conducted as a part of the internship. This will also include a description about the organization that will support the internship activities. 
    • A list of the specific tasks that will be conducted through the internship 
    • A letter of recommendation from the internship supervisor 
    • A description of the supervisor’s role in the organization and how they will support the student, signed by the supervisor  

     

    Students who are applying for the NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship Award funding must provide the following information in addition to the general NSTSTF application requirements if they want to do an independent research project: 

    • A 1000-word research proposal 
    • A description of the research site 
    • A description of who the student will work with in support of the research project 
    • A detailed budget and budget justification describing how the funds will be used to support the project 
    • A letter of recommendation must be from a FIU faculty member who will work alongside Elizabeth Whitman to advise students on their research projects 

Awardees of the NSTSTF Undergraduate Scholarship Award

  • Aloyse Abreu

    Aloyse Abreu studied the foraging behavior of sea turtles off the coast of Saona Island in the Dominican Republic, which has coral reefs and seagrass pastures adjacent to it.

    Understanding their foraging behavior is important because it allows us to assess how they interact and thus affect the coastal ecosystems. For her novel study, Ishe used a DJI drone to conduct aerial surveys of the habitats to quantify turtle abundance, as well as turtle-borne cameras to identify individual foraging preferences and track their movements between habitats. 

    Overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Whitman, Abreu’s research will allow scientists to develop a better understanding of sea turtle populations and their interactions with the local environment, which opens the door to understanding their role in the wider Caribbean region.

    aloyse.jpeg

  • Mia D'Orazio

    Mia D'Orazio studied the interaction of tourists, seagrass cover, turtle density, and behavior in the Bay of Akumal, Mexico.

    In the bay of Akumal, the seagrass meadows have high levels of nutrients from contamination of the shallow ground water table, sewage, and agricultural runoff. Other stressors for seagrass in this region are the continuous grazing by a growing population of green sea turtles and sediment and seagrass root disturbance by the great influx of tourists swimming and snorkeling. D'Orazio's work included seagrass, turtle, and fish identification. She collected seagrass surveys to observe abundance, species richness, and shoot density in comparison with historical data. She surveyed human activities (i.e., swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving) to observe spatial distribution patterns. Also, she recorded data on sea turtle abundance to determine their spatial distribution relative to the data she collected on seagrass and human activities.

     

    Overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Whitman, D'Orazio’s research will help scientists better understand the relationship between seagrass, sea turtles, and pressures caused by tourism, so that scientists can gain insight to help better manage this ecosystem.

     

  • Maria Clara Figueredo and Jose Bisbe Ochoa

    Maria Clara Figueredo and Jose Bisbe-Ochoa studied whether polystyrene boxes, collected as recycling, can serve as effective incubators in hatcheries.

    This work is critical as a major concern for sea turtle hatchlings is the increasing temperatures of beaches and sand. The temperature of developing eggs determines whether offspring will be male or female, and that means higher temperatures could result in a disproportionate number of females — a major problem for the sea turtle conservation.

    Overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Whitman, Figueredo’s and Bisbe-Ochoa’s research will help conservationists better protect sea turtle eggs and hatchlings from threats like poachers and storms.

  • Samantha Olszack

    Samantha Olszack studied how sargassum decomposition causes trace metals, such as arsenic, to leech into the sediment, which may be harmful to the turtles and their young.

    Anomalies in El Niño events, increasing ocean temperatures, changes in nutrient abundance, and other threats related to climate change have led to increasingly large amounts of­ sargassum on South Florida and Caribbean beaches. While sargassum is a critical ecosystem for young sea turtles in the open ocean, accumulations on shore can gather as high as 3 to 6 feet creating obstacles for both female sea turtles searching for suitable nesting areas and hatchlings exiting their nests, which is why understanding the effects of these sargassum landings is critical for sea turtle conservation.

    This research is overseen by Dr. Ligia Collado-Vides, a marine botanist in FIU’s Institute of Environment, and could help scientists find ways to manage incoming sargassum and determine possible uses for it, including compost.

  • Liberty Boyd

    Liberty Boyd is a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying green sea turtle populations and how they use seagrass ecosystems.

    Sea turtles rely heavily on the abundance and health of seagrass ecosystems, which serve as their primary food source.

    This research is overseen by CASE Executive Dean, Mike Heithaus, a marine biologist specializing in the ecological importance of large marine species. Liberty’s research helps scientists understand the relationship between sea turtle’s seagrass consumption and external threats affecting both sea turtle populations and seagrass ecosystems.

Awardees of the NSTSTF Rehabilitation and Outreach Award

  • Hannah Virgin

    Hannah Virgin is especially interested in linking environmental factors with sea turtle health. She has veterinary technician experience and was trained in taking blood samples from turtles. She used this summer internship as a pilot field season to assist the Loxahatchee River District and Palm Beach County. As part of this work, she scoped out the field sites and begin collecting preliminary data. For her graduate work she plans to develop a dissertation research project that aligns with Loxahatchee River District and Palm Beach County's research priorities. In collaboration with Loxahatchee River District and Palm Beach County Hannah has access to long-term data sets on seagrasses, water quality, and turtle abundances. Those data combined with observations of foraging behavior will inform her work on turtle health that she will evaluate through physical examinations in the field and blood metrics.

    hannah

  • Alyssa Miguez and Sole Amadi

    Alyssa Miguez and Sole Amadi worked on rehabilitation and outreach at the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) during the summer of 2022. At the education center, they received training in animal husbandry for taking care of captive sea turtles and assisted in the establishment of education and outreach programs. They also assisted with research being done in the laboratory at the MEEC to be able to provide new information for educational purposes and to gain insight for possible future research projects.

    sole-with-turtle      alyssa  

    Sole Amadi                                                       Alyssa Miguez