Making Waves: 2025 NMEA Student Awardees in Action

The National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) is proud to showcase the incredible work of our recent scholarship and grant recipients. From building on-campus communities to advancing marine technology and pursuing international research, these students are at the forefront of marine science and education.

The NMEA is proud to highlight the impactful work of our recent student scholarship and grant recipients.

Building Community at UC Irvine

Katie Pelon, a PhD student, founded the UCI Marine Science Club in fall 2025 to provide mentorship on a campus where the marine science program is small. (Image top left)

  • Progress: The club has 20 regular members and uses Discord to share internships and research opportunities. 

  • Events: Activities include documentary screenings, recruitment fairs, and upcoming professional development workshops. 

  • Support: Funds covered university fees, recruitment materials, and field equipment like a pop-up canopy and wagon. 

International Marine Conservation

Camila Rimoldi Ibañez, an IMBRSea Master student, utilized her scholarship to support her rotating studies across Europe. (Image top center)

  • Academic Journey: After a semester in Portugal, she is now in Ancona, Italy, studying Marine Protected Areas and Marine Conservation Biology.

  • Research: She is heading to Sorbonne University for a full-time internship investigating how bivalve species respond to changing temperature and salinity. 

  • Impact: The scholarship helped cover essential travel and housing costs during her transition between countries. 

The "Build A Reef" Project: Youth-Led Innovation

William Tan is a high school student leading a multi-phase initiative that combines hands-on community building with advanced marine technology. The NMEA Student Conservation Grant supported this initiative. William has also been supporting ice fishing initiatives in Minnesota to make ice fishing more accessible. (Image top right)

  • Hands-on Restoration: Through the Build A Reef Builder Program, youth and community members learn to design and construct reef structures using sustainable, 3D-printed materials.

  • Global Outreach: The program fosters STEM skills and environmental leadership, reaching classrooms worldwide during Climate Action Day.

  • Smart Reef Technology: The project also developed the Al-mart Artificial Reef (AAR), a "smart" reef structure featuring an underwater camera and sensors for temperature and oxygen.

  • Predictive Science: By analyzing over 300,000 data points, the system uses machine learning to predict environmental threats like oxygen depletion, helping to protect local ecosystems.

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