The Gordon J. Gilbert Scholarship
One of the ways Gumbo Limbo Nature Center promotes the message of healthy beaches and other coastal ecosystems is by awarding scholarships to high school and graduate students committed to academic fields preparing them for careers related to our mission. The Gordon Gilbert Scholarships are awarded based on the student’s academic curriculum and grades, volunteer activities at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center or other volunteer and extracurricular activities related to coastal conservation, an essay describing the student’s contributions so far and future plans, and an interview with the scholarship committee. The graduate candidates also present a summary of their research to the committee and commit to an additional public presentation for a more general audience.
2012 Scholarships
Applications for 2012 are no longer being accepted. Visit at the end of the year for details about the 2013 Scholarship.
Please click here for the announcement and awards dinner information for the 2012 High Schools recipients.
The 2011 Graduate Student Recipients
The Scholarship Committee is very pleased this year to award graduate level Gordon J. Gilbert Scholarships, of $2,500 each, to Tricia Meredith and Justin Perrault. Both students are doctoral candidates at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The committee was impressed by their academic credentials, enthusiasm, and dedication to educating students and the general public about marine and coastal resources, and by the quality and relevance of their research projects.
Tricia's research focuses on the sense of smell in sharks and rays (collectively called elasmobranchs), which are currently experiencing alarming global population declines. Surprisingly, little is known about their sense of smell. Understanding the sensory capabilities of sharks is critical for developing conservation measures to reduce non-target by-catch associated with commercial fisheries, and for developing effective shark repellants that might reduce the incidence of shark attacks on humans.
Tricia found that sharks are not any more sensitive to odorants than other fishes. She also discovered that sharks and rays have an unusual olfactory (sense of smell) apparatus compared to other vertebrates, and is currently using special lab procedures to determine how the olfactory organ detects different amino acids (odorants). Tricia's passion for the world of marine life developed during childhood while on family vacations to coastal South Carolina. From an early age she has been compelled to ask "Why?" and then proceed to figure out the answers. She loves teaching lab classes at FAU, and enjoys participating in Gumbo Limbo's Sea Turtle Day and other outreach events. She engages visitors with shark jaws to inform them about the fascinating biology of sharks and other marine life, and to correct common misconceptions about sharks. Tricia's research has been recognized by The American Elasmobranch Society and other scientific societies, and has been featured on documentaries on National Geographic TV and the Discovery Channel.
Justin's research is focused on endangered leatherback sea turtles, one of the three species that nests on Boca Raton's beaches. Justin is piecing together a complicated puzzle of ecological interactions to understand how mercury in the marine food chain might cause physical abnormalities that reduce survival of hatchlings. Specifically, he is measuring and comparing levels of mercury in adult leatherback turtles and their jellyfish prey, then in the hatchlings. The purpose is to relate the "biomagnifi-cation" effect of mercury toxicity as it is transferred up the marine food chain, from the jellyfish to the adult turtles that feed on the jellyfish, and then on to the hatchlings. Justin's findings will be applicable in the broader context of understanding how mercury and other contaminants affect the survival of other marine animals, and will help to illuminate the far-reaching effects of contaminants in runoff from coastal areas to the marine ecosystem. Justin is one of only a few students invited to share his findings at the International Sea Turtle Symposium in 2008 and 2009. He was also invited to participate in a federal workshop in 2010 on the implications of toxins in sea turtles. Justin dedicated many hours to Gumbo Limbo’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center during the cold-stun events: caring for turtles, collecting blood samples and administering medications. He also provided cross-training for the marine turtle veterinary staff and volunteers.
The 2011 High School Senior Recipients
The Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that the recipients of the 2011 Gordon J. Gilbert Scholarship Awards for high school students are Allison Goldberg and Eric Friedman. Both students receive a $2500 scholarship to apply to their first year of college. The students were selected based on their academic achievements in rigorous science and math courses, extracurricular activities that promote environmental education and awareness, particularly those that support conservation of coastal resources, an essay describing their past and future commitments to benefit the environment, letter of recommendation, and an interview with the committee.
Allison is in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program at Boca High and has volunteered approximately 300 hours at Gumbo Limbo where she loves working at the outdoor tanks interacting with the children and encouraging their enthusiasm for marine life. She's particularly interested in inspiring girls to pursue science careers. Her visit to New Orleans after the Gulf Oil Spill and personal observations of the damage to coastal habitats inspired her decision to major in Environmental Economics and Policy at the University of Florida. She plans to prepare for a career where she can apply her passion and knowledge of coastal environmental issues to government policies and business practices that support sound conservation practices.
Eric attends Palm Beach Central High and has dual enrollment credit in Research and Environmental Education at Florida Atlantic University through the Pine Jog Fellowship program. Eric's research on Cuban tree frogs (an exotic frog that eats native tree frogs) provides valuable information on their biology and potential measures for their control, management, and eradication from native habitats. Additionally, he initiated and coordinated a project with elementary school students to purchase and distribute reusable water bottles to students in an effort to reduce the need for disposable plastic bottles. He also worked his way into a job as batboy for the Florida Marlins! He plans to major in Marine Biology at the University of Miami. These students demonstrate the talents and dedication that Gumbo Limbo Nature Center hopes to inspire through its research, environmental education, and conservation efforts.