W
hen Media Specialist Frank McCloy picked up the phone, I heard noise in the background. That came as no surprise, considering that the institute’s headquarters was hosting its 21st annual MarineQuest—three days of free, educational exhibits that are held in conjunction with St. Petersburg Science Festival Week. McCloy explained hurriedly: “For the last two days, we’ve been bringing in kids—4th through 8th graders—by the busloads. We call it ‘School Daze.’ The kids love the exhibits. Then, tomorrow MarineQuest opens its doors to the public.” Outreach is a significant part of the FWRI’s work. Not only do they produce great science, but they help connect the public with their work and the subjects they study. Later, I caught up with Kelly Richmond, the institute’s unofficial traffic director. Kelly was bubbling—justifiably so—about the success of MarineQuest and the research her colleagues were doing: everything from saving marine mammals and turtles to angler-oriented projects that ranged from stock assessments and genetic research to habitat restoration. Kelly knows who does what, and where the research takes place—which, in an agency this size, is no small achievement. She connected me with four inspiring researchers.
CONSERVATION
SCIENCE BY STEVE KANTNER
FWRI rolls out the research that makes a difference.
