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Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellowship Program

About the Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellowship

The Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellowship is a competitive award granted to individual scholars pursuing research and monitoring projects that align with the management needs of the GTM Research Reserve. This fellowship provides an opportunity for graduate students to conduct research within the GTM Research Reserve, engage with the region’s scientific community, and build a portfolio of skills that will position the student for a successful career in their chosen field.  

Friends fellows work alongside Reserve staff in the field, the lab, and the office. Under the supervision of their faculty advisor and with the support of the Reserve team, they build proficiency through hands-on research, collaborative engagement, and independent work. After their fellowship, fellows present their findings at the Reserve’s annual science symposium and to the Friends board of directors.

The fellowship is funded by Friends members and donors who recognize the value of estuarine research and wish to further science through the support of graduate students entering into the next phase of their professional careers.

About the Friends of the GTM Reserve

The Friends of the GTM Reserve is the 501(c)(3) citizen support organization for the GTM Research Reserve. Their mission is to support and enhance the research, education, and stewardship of the Reserve through volunteer initiatives, fundraising, and community partnerships. Founded in 2000, the Friends have given their time, treasure, and talents to help the Reserve achieve its mission and support its management goals. To learn more, visit www.gtmnerr.org.

History of the Fellowship

In 2018, the Friends of the GTM Reserve was approached by the Reserve’s research team to help raise money for a comprehensive water quality study of the Guana Lake and River in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Located within the GTM Research Reserve’s northern component, the Guana system had been monitored periodically by visiting investigators and GTM staff. Still, other water bodies had outranked it in the region for long-term monitoring.  As questions mounted about the impact of development on Guana, members of the surrounding community reached out to the Reserve to request data on the status of the lake and river. With limited data available, the need for a study became evident, but funding was needed. At this time, the Friends stepped in and launched the first community-based campaign to raise money for water quality monitoring in Guana. With the community’s support, the Friends raised the money to fund monitoring for the first year.

As the data came in, the research team identified the subsequent need for Guana – a dedicated study and analysis that could be translated into informative management decisions. From there, the Friends Fellowship was created.

Project Objectives

To be awarded the Friends fellowship, the graduate student’s project must address one or more of the GTM Research Reserve’s management objectives:

  • Knowledge of the status and trends of habitats is increased
  • Knowledge of the status and trends of keystone, sentinel, foundation, endangered and threatened species is increased
  • Estuarine habitat management techniques that maintain or enhance natural biodiversity are implemented
  • Prescribed fire and other management techniques that maintain or improve natural upland biodiversity are implemented
  • Invasive plant and animal species within the GTM Research Reserve and its watersheds are reduced
  • The public’s and local professionals’ knowledge of GTM Research Reserve biodiversity and relevant best management practices is increased.
  • Spatial and temporal trends in water quality are monitored and analyzed
  • Solutions to negative impacts caused by point and non-point source pollution are identified
  • Biological indicators of changes in water quality are investigated
  • The public’s and local professionals’ knowledge of GTM Research Reserve water quality and relevant best management practices is increased
  • Short- and long-term changes in local climatic variables are monitored and analyzed
  • The effects of climate variability on ecosystem services, habitat distribution, biodiversity, and community resilience are investigated
  • The public’s and local professionals’ knowledge of sea-level rise, storm, and climate change impacts on local habitats, species and human communities is increased.

Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellows

Jessica Lee

Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellow 2019-2021 Estuary Water Quality Response to Impoundment Management

Annie Hurley

Friends of the GTM Reserve Fellow 2021 - 2023 Algae of GTMNERR: Cyanobacterial Diversity & Epiphyte Responses to Nutrient Additions

To Apply

To apply for a Fall 2023 fellowship, send your CV and a 1-2 page research proposal to Dr. Matt Gilg, mgilg@unf.edu, before 11:59 pm on March 1, 2023. The proposal should be co-authored by the student and their graduate advisor and summarize the proposed work and how it fits the objectives of the program.