This year, three students from various Florida universities will receive scholarships from the Aylesworth Foundation for the Advancement of Marine Sciences in partnership with Florida Sea Grant. Three students are continuing scholars from previous cohorts. Each Aylesworth Scholar receives funding for their respective ocean science research projects until they have graduated.
Luciana Banquero
Luciana Banquero is a marine science masters student in the University of Central Florida’s biology department. She is studying how macroalgae interacts with seagrass and effects restoration projects in the Indian River Lagoon.
Banqueros’ work will improve researchers’ understanding of seagrass habitats, which are understudied and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures. Seagrass restoration projects are also costly, labor-intensive, and frequently unsuccessful, therefore analyzing potential macroalgae influences could improve future restoration efforts and research methodologies.
“It’s been wonderful working with the organizations that have partnered with me on my project, such as the Brevard Zoo and St. Johns River Water Management District,” Banquero said. “I’m excited to continue working with them, learning from them and growing my network within the community of scientists and professionals in the field of marine sciences.”
In her spare time, Banquero loves to explore the outdoors, run and practice yoga.
Olivia Blondheim
Olivia Blondheim is a PhD student in the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. Her research focuses on how algal blooms and rising ocean temperatures affect the water filtration rates of eastern oysters
By studying the impact of urbanization and climate change on oysters, Blondheim can make recommendations to local farmers on how to improve aquaculture resiliency. Her findings will help contribute to healthier marine ecosystems in Florida and support shellfish restoration.
“I am deeply grateful to have received the Aylesworth Scholarship as it will provide the financial support to help me continue my PhD journey,” she said. “I am excited to connect with my peers and the scientists, community managers, and industry professionals that are a part of the Florida Sea Grant network.”
Beyond the lab and field, Blondheim can be found assembling vertical oyster gardens at community events, photographing wildlife at local parks, and crafting.
Kelli O’Donnell
Kelli O’Donnell is a PhD student in the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, concentrating on natural resource policy and administration.
O’Donnell is studying whether deep waters can provide refuge for coral outplants in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This involves outplanting and monitoring coral fragments in cool, deep waters to measure their growth. Her results will help develop successful coral restoration efforts and maintain the key services of the ecosystems, which face intense stress and coral degradation from rising water temperatures.
“I’m super appreciative to be a second time Aylesworth Scholar as I was awarded for my masters work as well,” O’Donnell said. “The support for multiple projects from UF and the Aylesworth Foundation confirms the importance of my research.”
In her free time, O’Donnell enjoys developing her future business model for seaplanes, which would improve disaster response and help her work with transporting rehabilitated sea turtles for release.
Previous Scholars with Ongoing Awards
Liam Kehoe
Liam Kehoe, a familiar face at Florida Sea Grant, is a PhD student in the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program at the University of Florida, His master’s thesis, which investigated the population dynamics and economics of stone crabs, was funded by Florida Sea Grant, with Dr. David Chagaris and Dr. Frank Asche serving as his advisors.
In 2023, Kehoe was awarded the Aylesworth Scholarship for his PhD research, which explores novel tagging and genomic techniques for the U.S. South Atlantic Red Snapper. His day-to-day responsibilities include offshore sampling, coding, reading modeling reports and meeting with researchers from across the country.
“This scholarship will increase my network of collaborators and provide me with resources to further advance my quantitative training,” said Kehoe.
He is looking forward to finding new ways to make fisheries more sustainable and mentoring the next generation of fisheries scientists. He was recently announced as a 2024 NMFS Fellow.
Paul McDonald
Paul McDonald is pursuing his PhD in the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program at the University of Florida, aiming to increase aquaculture production and quality.
His research focuses on studying the fitness and breeding of eastern oysters under varying conditions, which involves performing salinity experiments and caring for oyster populations. McDonald’s findings will allow for more sustainable resource management and contribute important data to the field.
“The Aylesworth Scholarship has helped me immensely to be able to better focus on my research and be able to do outreach when the opportunity arises,” said McDonald.
“It also helped with the late nights that I’ve had to spend processing animals and setting up experiments.”
He is looking forward to publishing papers on his findings and outreaching to his community.
Ashley Reaume
Ashley Reaume joined Florida Sea Grant as a 2022 Aylesworth Scholar, pursuing a PhD in integrative biology from the University of Central Florida.
Her research focuses on molecular ecology, using small-scale tools like DNA metabarcoding to understand the relationship between estuarine plankton and water quality. Reaume conducts her research in the Gaither Lab and uses her findings to assist in conservation efforts with the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
If you’d like to learn more about the Aylesworth Foundation Scholarship, visit Florida Sea Grant’s website. To learn more about Florida Sea Grant’s student programs, visit our Student Opportunities page.
