IWFA SCHOLARSHIP TRUST
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS' RESEARCH PROJECTS

Andie Munoz:

"The Atlantic Sea scallop fishery is economically important in the United States. Found non-uniformly from Cape Hatteras, NC through Newfoundland, Canada, sea scallops encounter a range of water and phytoplankton assemblages that are susceptible to the effects of climate change. My research aims to apply a novel genetic approach involving eDNA and DNA metabarcoding to refine our understanding of 1) sea scallop feeding ecology and diet over space and time and 2) the influence of diet and food availability on the distribution, abundance, productivity, and future of the resource."

Kaitlyn Cisco:

"I am a third year PhD Student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) combining genetic and morphological tools to study skates! I have the privilege of working in fisheries collections, lab spaces and on commercial sea scallop boats to understand skate taxonomy and apply what I learn for better bycatch identification in the field. Fun fact: my passion for art and science communication has led to many collaborations with high school and college students to combine the two disciplines for outreach education – scientific illustrations, integrating ray movements into a dance, and even lesson plan publications for the broader VA community!"

Camilla Samara Chacon

"This study investigates how three gamefish species—red drum, spotted seatrout, and sheepshead—partition food resources at oyster reefs with different harvesting statuses across three interconnected Texas bays. Using stable isotope analysis of fish tissues, the project will assess trophic niche partitioning and overlap. Findings will inform whether current oyster reef management practices support long-term fish population health and sustainable fisheries."

Lillie Bradshaw

"While global action is essential to address climate change, local management decisions play a crucial role in protecting vulnerable coastal ecosystems from additional stressors. My Ph.D. research examines how human activities influence coral reef resilience in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. By understanding how different levels of local impacts and human uses affect reef community structure and health, my work will help identify strategies to strengthen coastal ecosystems against accelerating climate change and support the long-term protection of these critical habitats."

Madeleine Tanda

"Ocean acidification is a pervasive threat to marine ecosystems, but its effects on ecosystem properties are difficult to disentangle. In my research, I am investigating how the habitat structure of coastal rocky intertidal ecosystems responds to declines in ocean pH by combining mesocosm experiments with novel 3D imaging techniques. I hope to create knowledge that can be used to better predict how coastal habitats will look and function under future environmental changes."