Thanks to funding from the Sanibel FlyFishers, the SCCF Marine Lab’s new intern Nile McBride is gaining hands-on experience this summer to realize his dream of protecting the waters he grew up fishing, exploring, and snorkeling.

“I was born and raised in Cape Coral and have been on the waters of Pine Island Sound from a very young age, enjoying the local aquatic ecosystem and everything it has to offer,” said McBride. “Through all my experiences, it became clear that I wanted to find a career that would enable me to protect the environment I love and grew up with.”

Currently a junior at the University of Florida where he is majoring in Wildlife Conservation and Ecology with a minor in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, McBride views the internship as an opportunity to further his education with fieldwork.

“Nile is getting trained on a variety of ongoing grant projects including the Woodring Road mangrove seedling monitoring, seagrass and macroalgae interaction in Matlacha Pass, and oyster life history studies,” said Marine Lab Director Eric Milbrandt, Ph.D.

His work includes all aspects of field data collection, lab sorting and weighing as well as water quality data collection. He will prepare a short presentation and give a talk at the end of his internship in August

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to equip myself with the tools and background to protect this environment for future generations,” said McBride. “The knowledge and experience I will gain will further my understanding of our local environment and what I need to do upon entering the workforce to protect it.”

SCCF is grateful to the Sanibel FlyFishers for supporting the training of the next generation of field researchers.

Learn about the Marine Lab’s water quality research >>>