by K.G. McAnally, Staff Writer

LONG BEACH (GG) — On Thursday, July 10th, 28 high school student interns from across the state presented their findings in a poster session at Hardy Hall, University of Southern Mississippi – Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, Mississippi.

GenSea 2025 Intern Cohort: 
  • Fisheries Ecology – USM: Lucy Wilkins (Ocean Springs High School)
  • Marine Aquaculture (Finfish) – USM:Jewel Ronje (St. Martin High School),  Elijah Ellison (Ocean Springs High School), Riley Quint (Ocean Springs High School).
  • Marine Aquaculture (Oysters) – USM: Bella Cates (Ocean Springs High School), Julian Pearce (Ocean Springs High School).
  • Ocean Modeling – USM:  Juliana Cassamajor (Memphis East STEM Academy High School), Aiden Cloud (St. Patrick Catholic High School).
  • Marine Education – Mississippi Aquarium: Marcella Hoffman (Pass Christian High School), Josalyn Thomas (Christian Collegiate Academy), Alona Nunez (Hancock High School).
  • Interdisciplinary Oceanography – Naval Oceanographic Office: Kayleigh Callender (St. Martin High School), Ernesto Rodriguez (Hancock High School).
  • Oyster Farming –  French Hermit Oyster Company: Parker Talley (St. Patrick Catholic High School).
  • Hydrography (Ocean Mapping – USM) Peyton Broom (Ocean Springs High School), Raymond “Jackson” Pucheu (Hancock High School, Elijah LaBrosse (St. Stanislaus Catholic High School), Jeremie Martinez (Gautier High School).
  • Coastal Geology – USM: Alex “Sec” Rieke (Pass Christian High School), Anyia Hinton (Picayune Memorial High School), Audrey Griggs (Picayune Memorial High School).
  • Environmental Education – Pascagoula River Audubon Center, Aaryiah Davis (Moss Point High School), Memphis Keebler (Vancleave High School), Randall “Seven” Kelly (Vancleave High School).
  • Coastal Restoration and Research – MSU: Amihanarra Mabanta (D’Iberville High School), Brody DuBose (Ocean Springs High School), Emma Bridges (Homeschool), Madelynne Mader (Ocean Springs High School).
GenSea’s Summer 2025 Intern Cohort was selected from a pool of 70 applicants from public, private, and homeschool settings in Mississippi.
Blue economy internships ,4-6 week sessions, offer students (16 and older)  experiences with the following locations across the three coastal counties: USM Coastal Operations: Stennis, Gulf Park, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory; French Hermit Oyster Company; Mississippi Aquarium; Mississippi Stare University Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program; and Naval Oceanography Command.
Over the summer (June and July) these student inters worked Monday – Friday at a maximum of 19 hours per week with specific schedules set at each location.
Subjects including Agriculture, Computer Ocean Modeling, Environmental/Marine Science Education, Fisheries Ecology Research, Coastal Restoration Research and Outreach, Hydrography, Military Sponsored Science and Engineering, and much more.
Awards of $1,000 – $1,500 are given upon successful completion of the sessions. For more information contact Tara Skelton, GenSea program manager, University of Southern Mississippi.
(Front Photo by K.G. McAnally/The Gazebo Gazette)