Kesley Gibson and Lily Walker were named the first two recipients of the Science of Conservation Scholarships. The scholarships were created by a partnership between Shimano and the Coastal Conservation Association CCA to fund four scholarships dedicated to students furthering their marine science education at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“Science is at the core of formulating all our policy decisions, so helping to ensure the best and brightest of the next generation have everything they need to continue their education is a win for marine resources and for anglers,” said Patrick Murray, president of CCA.

Meet the Recipients

Kesley Gibson

Kesley Gibson

Gibson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation HRI. Her research involves migratory patterns and artificial reef habitat use of fisheries species in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, including red snapper, king mackerel, cobia and multiple shark species. She is a Divemaster with supplemental certifications including nitrox, rescue, full face, boat, deep, night, and drysuit diving, and appeared on the Shark Week episode The Lost Cage in 2017.

Anglers & Science: The future of our sportfisheries. Anglers and scientists are beginning to partner more often in an effort to responsibly utilize our nation's recreational fishing resources. Shimano and the Coastal Conservation Association are proud to announce the first recipients of the National Marine Science Scholarship. This scholarship provides support to graduate students researching sportfish-related topics and who are avid anglers themselves. Meet Kesley Gibson, a Ph.D. candidate from Texas. Kesley is conducting research on apex predator movements and habitat preferences for reef dwelling sportfish. She is an accomplished offshore angler who is completely at home following schools of tuna and trolling bluewater for wahoo. To learn more about Kesley and the NMSS program watch the video below and visit www.ScienceofConservation.org.Marine scientists may not make the best anglers, but anglers make the best marine scientists!CCA Texas Shimano North America Fishing Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies YETI Coastal Conservation Association Posted by ReleaSense.org on Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Lily Walker

Lily Walker

Walker, also a Ph.D. student, works in the Coastal Ecosystem Processes lab at HRI. The goal of her dissertation research is to increase understanding of estuarine water quality and oxygen dynamics in South Texas, specifically focusing on physical and chemical drivers of dissolved oxygen. A large portion of her dissertation will investigate the possible linkages between submarine groundwater discharge and hypoxia formation in local bay systems.

Anglers & Science: The future of our sportfisheries. Anglers and scientists are beginning to partner more often in an effort to responsibly utilize our nation's recreational fishing resources. Shimano and the Coastal Conservation Association are proud to announce the first recipients of the National Marine Science Scholarship. This scholarship provides support to graduate students researching sportfish-related topics and who are avid anglers themselves. Meet Lily Walker, a Ph.D. candidate from Texas. Lily is conducting world-class research on how water quality impacts sportfish populations. She is also an avid flyfisher and can often be found chasing redfish or competing in kayak fishing tournaments. To learn more about Lily and the NMSS program watch the video below and visit www.ScienceofConservation.org.Marine scientists may not make the best anglers, but anglers make the best marine scientists!Coastal Conservation Association CCA Texas Shimano North America Fishing Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies YETI Posted by ReleaSense.org on Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Learn more about the scholarship and other initiatives here.