Supporters of Mote give college students the chance to study marine science
On Wednesday, Aug. 3, Mote Marine Laboratory (Mote) — an independent research institution that hosts interns from around the world — celebrated the success of nine college students who will soon conclude a rigorous, marine research-based summer internship that took place during the 2015-2016 school year, an opportunity provided by The Nature Conservancy and Mote.
The nine students were given the opportunity to study marine science at Mote thanks to the generosity of Keith and Linda Monda. Keith is a former trustee and longtime supporter of The Nature Conservancy, retired President and COO of Coach, Inc., and a passionate philanthropist.
Four of the students were part of Mote’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and five of the students were part of Mote’s and The Nature Conservancy’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates – LEAF Alumni program, which offers high school students who participated in the Conservancy’s high school internship program, Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF), a way to continue their internship experiences as college undergraduate students.
The two internship programs consist of 10 weeks of research-based curriculum designed to provide hands-on opportunities for students to conduct scientific research under the mentorship of Mote scientists.
Four student interns, Ian Dixon-Anderson, Eliana Sawyer, Zerlina Lin and Sunny Zhang, were selected to work with Dr. Emily Hall, Manager of Ocean Acidification Program at Mote.
“The marine environment itself is new to me, because my school in Iowa is landlocked and I don’t have the opportunity to study marine life, and I’d like to go into some type of oceanography career,” said Dixon-Anderson, a REU student.
She continued, “The experience I had at Mote was a unique internship, which gave me a lot of hands-on experience, knowledge and skills to pursue a career in oceanography. Dr. Emily Hall was a great mentor, and she took the time to teach me the techniques and everyone was willing to take time to show the new interns new skills so that we could grow.”
One student, Rachel Castillo, was selected to work with Dr. Tracy Fanara, Environmental Health Program Manager.
“My internship experience was incredible and I learned so much,” Castillo said. “Before this internship, I didn’t have any real lab experience, and now I can say that I have some research experience, which feels amazing. I studied the effects of pesticides on Karenia Brevis, the algae that causes Florida red tide. I have never been to Florida or been on a boat before, and during this internship I took a boat out with my mentor, Dr. Tracy Fanara, and took water samples from 16 different sites to analyze in the lab. Dr. Fanara was such a great mentor. We experienced a few bumps in our experiments, but she always encouraged me and taught me to never give up.”
One student intern, Eric Bovee, was selected to work with Dr. Erinn Muller, Manager of the Coral Health & Disease Research Program at Mote.
“I did a lot of hands-on research and learned a lot,” Bovee said. “I spent a week at Mote’s facility in Summerland Key working on a project involving staghorn coral and looking at different environmental dynamics that affect the coral there, such as temperature and pH levels. I learned how to record these dynamics, which was great.”
One student intern, Alex Witter, was selected to work with Dr. Jordon Beckler, Manager of the Ocean Technology Research program.
“My internship experience at Mote was very informative,” Witter said. “I learned a lot of techniques related to ocean technology, which was great, and it was my first lab experience, so I feel it helped me prepare for the future in that way.”
One student intern, Jin An, was selected to work with Dr. Kim Ritchie, Manger of the Marine Microbiology program. He worked on shark mucus bacteria and its relation to future antibiotics.
“My internship experience at Mote was eye opening,” An said. “At first, when I came here, I was unsure if I had any interest in microbiology. I didn’t have microbiology experience and when I got in the lab, I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but over time, I learned so much through direct, hands-on experience. Now I feel really confident in a microbiology lab, I know what I am doing and I don’t have to ask for help as much. I am really thankful to Mote, and my mentor Dr. Kim Ritchie, for giving me this opportunity.”
One student, Amy Alvarez, was selected to work with Dr. Katie McHugh, Staff Scientists, Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
“My internship experience at Mote was incredible,” Alvarez said. “Before this internship, I didn’t have fieldwork experience. I’ve worked in a lab before, but to have the opportunity to be a part of the fieldwork was amazing, and I can’t thank Dr. McHugh enough for this great opportunity.”
“Amy was an incredible intern,” McHugh said. “She was responsible and also produced solid work. It was a pleasure mentoring her over the summer and I hope she learned a lot during her time at Mote.”
On Wednesday, Aug. 3, Research Experiences for Undergraduates – LEAF Alumni students, REU students and their respective mentor scientists celebrated the partnership between Mote and TNC, and met Linda and Keith Monda, who sponsored the internship programs.
“I wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight and celebrating the internship program this summer, and I wanted to extend our sincere gratitude to Keith and Linda Monda for their generous sponsorship of our programs this summer,” said Gina Santoianni, Mote Student Engagement Coordinator. “We were very excited to continue our partnership with The Nature Conservancy, through the LEAF program, and we were also able to add an additional four REU sponsored internships this year, thanks to the Mondas. It has been so great to have these interns here who have been packed with excitement.”
Keith and Linda Monda were present to meet the students and learn about the various projects they worked on during the summer.
“We particularly like this program because we devote a lot of our energy in terms of philanthropy and service in three major areas, children, education and conservation, and this program involves all three of those things,” said Keith Monda. “I am a big supporter of Mote and The Nature Conservancy and I think this opportunity to bring these two organizations together is critical to the success of both organizations. I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to support this program and I want to wish all of these bright minds good luck in their future endeavors.”
The experience gained through Mote’s REU and the Research Experiences for Undergraduates – LEAF Alumni program aims to enhance knowledge and experience needed for entry-level employment and graduate studies in marine science-related fields.
Mote internships are designed to inspire students with a life-long appreciation and commitment to the conservation and sustainability of our oceans by providing unique opportunities to conduct ocean science research, education or support services under the mentorship of Mote scientists, educators, animal care specialists and other professionals.
“At Mote, we believe education is critical to empowering society to decide how to use and protect our limited marine resources,” Santoianni said. “Now that these students are part of the Mote family, we hope they really embrace their experience at Mote, continue to study marine science and let us know where this path takes them from here,” Santoianni said.
She continued,“We can’t thank the Mondas enough for creating a launching pad for these students to explore the world of marine science and perhaps become the next generation of scientists.
