A researcher, research intern, and scholar conduct sediment core sampling in the salt marsh at the St. Jones Estuary in Dover. DNREC staff photo.

DOVER – The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, administered through DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy, is seeking applicants for a new two-year fellowship sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which shares oversight with DNREC for the state’s estuarine reserves on the St. Jones River near Dover and Blackbird Creek in Townsend.

“We are excited to be collaborating with NOAA in offering this new graduate fellowship opportunity,” said Kimberly Cole, Environmental Program administrator with DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy. “Fellows will select and work to address a key coastal management question in an effort to help DNREC scientists and coastal communities understand challenges that may influence policy and management strategies.”

NOAA’s Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship program provides students the opportunity to conduct collaborative research projects focused on the nation’s estuaries. Melissa Ladd, NOAA’s national coordinator of the program, said what makes the fellowship program exceptional is that focus. “We are dedicated to research that gives our communities the facts needed to make wise decisions when it comes to deciding how coastal resources are used and managed,” Ladd said. “This program also provides students with the experiences and professional growth skills that will serve them, and our environment, throughout their careers.”

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) is one of 29 reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, with the state’s two components, the St. Jones Reserve and the Blackbird Creek Reserve, focused on practicing and promoting coastal and estuarine stewardship through innovative research and education, using a system of protected areas.

Each of the national reserves in the system will host a fellowship program. These sites combine to protect 1.3 million estuarine acres, and are home to some of the nation’s most progressive science and educational programs. Each reserve designates its research priorities, from habitat changes to water quality and more.

Interested graduate students should work with their university or college faculty advisor to submit applications by Dec. 20, 2019. To apply, or for additional details and research priorities, visit NOAA’s fellowship website. For more information, please email OCM.DavidsonFellowship@noaa.gov.

For more DNREC information, visit Delaware Coastal Management Program or Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 216