People

Principle Investigators

Noëlle Boucquey, PhD

Noëlle Boucquey is a Professor of Environmental Studies at Eckerd College. She employs human geography to study the social, political, and spatial dimensions of coastal and marine resource governance questions. Along with examining subsistence fishing's role in urban political ecologies of risk and resilience, she studies the politics of marine spatial planning and the dynamics of commercial and recreational fishing conflicts. She also teaches courses including Fisheries Governance, Wildlife Politics & Policy, Research Methods, and the Political Ecology of Travel & Tourism. Read more about the Boucquey Lab here.

Jessie Fly, PhD

Jessie Fly is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Eckerd College. She is an environmental anthropologist, with special interest in the relationship between economic and environmental change and households' use of natural resources to maintain sustainable livelihoods. She has studied shrimp farming and food security in southern Vietnam and conservation strategies of private landowners in Southern Appalachia. At Eckerd, Jessie teaches courses including Sustainable Development, Medical Anthropology, Anthropological Research Methods, and Tropical Ethnobotany.

Current Students (Research Assistants and Ford Scholars):

Danny Nowak '27

Danny is a junior at Eckerd College majoring in Marine Science. Growing up in North Carolina, his family would make frequent trips to the coast to fish. For Danny, these trips sparked a lifelong passion for fishing and a love for the marine environment. Through his involvement in fishing clubs, tournaments, and conservation initiatives, Danny is expanding his knowledge and influence within the Tampa Bay fishing community. His involvement with Tampa Bay REACH is a continuation of his passion for fisheries management and all things fishing-related.

QB Nguyen-Hoang '27

QB is a junior at Eckerd College, pursuing majors in Marine Science and Environmental Studies with minors in Coastal Management and Applied Mathematics. He is from Texas and spent many weekends fishing in Galveston Bay where he found his love for fishing and conservation. He hopes to use the experiences from the Tampa Bay REACH project as a springboard for future career opportunities in fisheries.

Past Students

Thomas Vetter '22

Thomas is a junior pursuing a major in environmental studies and a coastal management minor. He grew up in Cary, North Carolina, and spent most of his childhood exploring new places for himself to fish and enjoy the outdoors. While visiting the beach as a child he quickly built his love for the ocean and fishing. He hopes to use the experience and knowledge he has gained through the internship to further his path in environmental studies and coastal management.

Evan Cramer '22

Originally from Connecticut, Evan came to Eckerd to study Environmental Studies as well as minors in Coastal Management and Sustainability. He has spent most of childhood fishing and spending time outdoors, most of which took place on the beaches of Cape Cod, and what was once a favorite summertime activity has turned into a lifelong passion. There is no place Evan loves more than the ocean, and he hopes to spend the rest of his life breathing the fresh salty air.

Heidi Lewis Millard '22

Heidi is a senior at Eckerd College, studying Environmental Studies and Spanish with a minor in Coastal Management. Her love for the outdoors was apparent from a young age, growing up in the mountains of Colorado, but only after moving to Florida for college did she find her fascination with marine and coastal ecosystems. Heidi has loved learning about human interactions with these environments as well as fisher's attitudes regarding the regulations surrounding these environments during the Urban Fishing Project. In the future, she hopes to harness this knowledge in her path in coastal management and wildlife policy.

Emily Herbut '22

Emily is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Anthropology at Eckerd College. Growing up 20 minutes outside of the Appalachian Trail in Leesburg, Virginia, Emily developed an early passion for spending time outdoors. She understands that spending time in nature can be beneficial for one's general health and well-being, so it was no surprise when most of her interviewees admitted that fishing was a way for them to relax and have fun. Emily is eager to continue working with people and educating the general public about the importance of conserving our natural spaces.

Sonder Selvig '21

Sonder is a senior at Eckerd College double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies at. Growing up in Colorado he has always been an avid outdoorsman and flyfisherman, eventually becoming a guide. With an interest in fisheries management, this project is in line with his studies and he hopes to gain valuable experience with data collection, communication and other important research practices, along with how people use the resources of Tampa Bay.

Ariele Dashow '20 (Ford Scholar)

Ariele Dashow is a rising senior pursuing her Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies and Political Science at Eckerd College. Originally from Yardley, PA, Ariele spent most of her time growing up outdoors around all different types of ecosystems and species, never shying away from the opportunity to explore somewhere new. She quickly realized a passion for studying the politics people and their environment, and translated that into her studies throughout high school and college. Upon completing this research, she hopes to use her knowledge in subsistence fishing to further a future career in environmental politics and policy writing.

Amy Bosteels '19 (Ford Scholar)

Amy is currently pursuing Graduate School in Marine Policy at the University of Delaware . Originally from Litchfield, New Hampshire, she grew up gardening with her mom which fostered her interest in the relationship between humans and the environment. On New England’s coastline, she found a passion for the ocean and in combining her interests, she hopes to study coastal zone management to better understand how humans may sustainably interact with, utilize, and manage our coastal resources.

David Miller '19

David Miller graduated with a double major in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, David's first fishing experiences occurred in and around the Chesapeake Bay area. Now having lived in St. Petersburg for over four years, he hopes to use his knowledge of subsistence fishing in the Tampa Bay region to better understand the cultures of fishing back home and around the world.

David Miller using participant observation at the Skyway Fishing Pier.

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