A homegrown Florida resident, Florida Gulf Coast University grad and masters program participant has won a $5,000 grant to help her continue environmental-linked marine research.
Susannah Cogburn recently found that she was one of eight recipients of the research stipend via the Guy Harvey Fellowship, formerly the Guy Harvey Scholarship Award, in partnership with the fellowship and Florida Sea Grant.
"It's amazing. Guy Harvey is such a big, you know, proponent for marine conservation," Cogburn said. "So to know that I was one of the students that got this was such an honor, especially because a lot of the recipients were PhD students."
Cogburn received the stipend and a certificate personally designed and signed by Harvey, world-renowned marine wildlife artist, conservationist and GHF Founder/Chair Emeritus.
Cogburn is a master’s student from Winter Garden, studying environmental science, with a focus on marine ecotoxicology at FCGU.
"So my project, even though it's under the field of environmental science, it was kind of marine ecotoxicology," Cogburn explained. "So what that means, I'm actually studying bull sharks. And I'm seeing how organic contaminants — if you think anything kind of human made, so pesticides, heavy metals, kind of those heavy toxins — one,m if they're in the shark, you know, if there's presence, and they're different tissues, and if they are present, does that have an effect on their ability to flush salt out or what's called osmoregulation. So how they can regulate salt in their body? So, that's my project."
Growing up in Florida imbued her with an affinity for the environment.
"I absolutely fell in love with marine science as a child at a young age," she said. "I was born in Pensacola. And so I grew up right along the Gulf of Mexico. And so kind of getting those ideas of the beach at a young age."
She added that she learned a lot about conservation and saw firsthand the changes that humans have made to the ecosystem.
"And so it was something that is such a big part of my childhood that I wanted to protect it for my children and future generations to come," Cogburn said. "So that's kind of why I fell in love with marine science."
The 23-year-old said her decision to do both her undergrad and masters work at FGCU was a no-brainer, given her study topic and the environment here.
"I mean, living in Florida, I was like, 'why leave the state', we're a peninsula, we're surrounded by water," she said. "So when I was looking to different universities, I fell in love with FGCU, on my campus tours, just seeing how much wildlife and nature's just surrounded us, it wasn't a big city with just some buildings in between, you really feel in-tune with nature, especially with the requirements of like colloquium, which we learned all about sustainability and how our lives intersect with it. I just really loved the idea."
After a tour of the Vester Field Station in Bonita Springs, and learning about the wet lab and the equipment available to be used with research even as freshmen, she said it was a no-brainer.
"That absolutely drew me here, and I'm so glad. I loved it so much. I stayed for my master's degree," she said.
In an effort to protect coastal and marine habitats and species, the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF) collaborates with local, national, and international organizations to conduct scientific research and fund affiliated researchers who share their commitment to ocean conservation.
One of GHF’s key initiatives involves recognizing students such as Cogburn across Florida colleges and universities who conduct research that will help support the sustainable management of marine fish.
Cogburn will also have the opportunity to share their work with the greater Sea Grant network through Florida Sea Grant’s Communications Team. Award recipients are expected to share their progress, including participating at public and scientific events to improve their science communication skills.
Cogburn received the stipend and a certificate personally designed and signed by Harvey, world-renowned marine wildlife artist, conservationist and GHF Founder/Chair Emeritus.
The results of Cogburn's research will have direct fisheries impacts by helping to quantify pollutants and their persistence within our local fisheries stock. The bull sharks will also act as a proxy for other marine fishes to identify if the pollutants are present and the direct effect on their osmoregulation - the process of maintaining salt and water balance within the body.
Established in 2010, the partnership between Florida Sea Grant and the Guy Harvey Foundation has provided scholarships totaling $439,000 to support the research of 90 students at 12 different Florida universities. This fellowship not only bolsters academic research but also strengthens the connection between Florida Sea Grant and the next generation of marine scientists.
Applications for the 2025 Guy Harvey Fellowship will open later this year. Stay informed about eligibility criteria and deadlines at www.flseagrant.org/student-opportunities/ or contact Florida Sea Grant Student Programs Coordinator, Cassandra Sexson, at students@flseagrant.org.
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