Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship

Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship

About

The Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship program is a partnership between Nova Southeastern University’s National Coral Reef Institute, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, and the U.S. Coral Reef All Islands Committee.

The program recruits Coral Reef Management Fellows for the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) to address current capacity gaps and to build longer-term capacity in these locations. This is done by placing highly qualified individuals whose education and work experience meet each jurisdiction’s specific coral reef management needs. The program’s goal is to develop a thriving collaborative fellowship program that builds excellent next-generation leaders and capacity for effective local coral reef ecosystem management.

Throughout their fellowship, the Coral Fellows are integrated into a local natural resource management agency, allowing them to engage with the local community and gain firsthand experience of the benefits and challenges of daily natural resource management operations. Fellows are also encouraged to take part in public outreach events, explore professional development opportunities, and learn about ongoing initiatives to support U.S. coral reef conservation.

NCRI's Support

NCRI has coordinated the Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship for ten years, led by director Wendy Wood-Derrer. This administration has strengthened relationships within NCRI, NOAA CRCP, U.S. DOI, and the AIC in addition to all seven U.S. coral jurisdictions. NCRI works with both the jurisdictional points of contacts and local agency staff, who serve as supervisors and participate in the oversight of each local Coral Fellow. This collaboration and commitment to the next generation is exemplified through the success of the Fellowship, with 85% of the Coral Fellows remaining in management or research fields upon completion of the Fellowship.