UNF biology student awarded research fellowship from Fish Florida
Matthew Bernanke, graduate student researcher in the University of North Florida Shark Biology Lab, has been awarded a two-year fellowship from Fish Florida to support his thesis research.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, UNF Shark Biology Program director, Bernanke is investigating habitat use of young scalloped hammerhead sharks in their nursery area of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. The fellowship will contribute to purchasing acoustic telemetry tags for their research to determine how and why the sharks utilize this specific habitat.
Fish Florida is a non-profit organization seeking to encourage protection and promote public awareness of marine fisheries and coastal habitats.