USF student secures prestigious summer internship at national marine sanctuary

By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing

As a marine biology major at USF St. Petersburg, Audrey Brandt is used to seeing beaches, dolphins and manatees. But this summer, the view is vastly different, with steep canyons, sea lions and harbor seals.

Brandt recently started a coveted summer internship with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) in Monterey, CA, one of the largest federally protected marine sanctuaries in the United States. Often referred to as the "Serengeti of the Sea" due to its diverse habitat, the area encompasses 276 miles of shoreline along California's central coast.

"My first impression was that it was cold. It was 96 degrees when I left Florida and about 55 degrees in California," said Brandt, a Judy Genshaft Honors College student. "It's a wildly different ocean. Eight out of ten times, I see a plant or animal I've never seen in Florida. So, it's a nice change of pace."

Brandt's journey to California started when she was selected for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program in 2023. The award is designed to increase undergraduate training in oceanic research and education and provides an academic scholarship with a 10-week, full-time paid summer internship at a NOAA facility.

Brandt chose the MBNMS in California because of its diverse marine life and geography. But it also offered a position focused on conservation, education and outreach - something Brandt has been doing for the past two summers at USF St. Petersburg.

"That's how I discovered I wanted a career in that area of marine biology," Brandt said. "It worked out well that there was an education and outreach position available in California, especially since it's through a national marine sanctuary that gets so many visitors yearly."

Brandt is working on the sanctuary's Pride in The Ocean initiative, where visitors from the LGBTQ+ community can paddle out to the sanctuary and learn about ocean sciences. After that, the internship will focus on promoting recreational fishing and a naturalist program that involves kayaking in the bay and talking to visitors about the sanctuary and its marine wildlife.

Brandt will return to USF St. Petersburg in the fall of 2024 and is set to graduate in the spring of 2025. The Florida native is open to all options post-graduation but hopes to find something close to home.

"Growing up near the Tampa Bay estuary, I learned to care about the environment and saw that there were steps I could take to protect it and educate others," Brandt said. "Ideally, I'd like to find something in education and outreach and continue what I'm doing here in Florida."

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