Thank you to everyone who has made our second annual Early Career Award possible! It was an amazing pool of applicants, and thanks to proceeds from the fisHER Adventure Classic and generous monthly recurring donations by Robert Campbell we were again able to support two awards this year! Learn more about our winners and how they will use the award below. If you are interested in supporting our initiatives and awards like this, consider a one-time or recurring monthly donation to Women of Fisheries (see our sponsorship page for details).
Congratulations to Olivia Eisenbach!
My interest in fisheries science began during my undergraduate degree at James Cook
University. Two of my favorite classes were my fisheries science and Importance of
Marine Invertebrates classes amongst many others. I had incredible professors who
sparked my interest in fisheries with engaging lectures and amazing field trips; I was
hooked immediately! Since then, I have continued to participate in fisheries science
around the globe. At the Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas, I was involved in
multiple fisheries projects researching the Stone Crab fishery, bonefish reproduction,
and pelagic fisheries and ecology. Working in the pelagic environment has been one of
my favorite experiences and is an area of research I hope to work in again in the future.
I traveled to England where I completed my Master’s Degree at the University of
Plymouth with my thesis focusing on the ecology and physiology of the venomous
Lesser Weever fish. After submitting my thesis, I volunteered at the St Abbs Marine
Station in Scotland where I assisted in research projects investigating the population of
local crab and lobster species. After graduation, I returned to the USA in early 2020
where I conducted fishery surveys for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
My career path then brought me to coastal Alabama where I tagged Red Snapper and
Gray Triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico investigating release mortality as part of a
research lab at Auburn University. Recently, I joined the research team at the Flower
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary where I hope to continue
my fisheries journey!
My main interests include fish/shark population dynamics, spatial ecology,
and fisheries biology; however, I am always interested in new areas of research and the
opportunity to try and learn new things. This area of science has given me amazing
opportunities to work in the field and with local fishing communities. I have had many
great experiences so far, but the connections I have made with various other marine
scientists have made every experience extraordinary. All my fondest and most
important moments in my career have been with the friends and colleagues I have
made along the way.
Olivia will use the award to purchase a prescription mask which will aid in
research while in the water. “After being diagnosed with an eye condition and
undergoing minor eye surgery last year to halt progression of the condition, my eyesight
has significantly changed. Getting a prescription mask will greatly improve my vision in
the water while conducting research (especially while doing fish surveys)!”
Congratulations to Taylor Saucier!
I am passionate about the conservation of native fishes. I first fell in love with fish
working at my university’s aquaculture facility where I was afforded hands-on
experience in research with fish. Because of that experience, I sought out every
opportunity I could to work with fish, from processing fish tissue samples for isotope
analysis as an REU in Arizona to analyzing otoliths and stomach contents of Spotted
bass in Mississippi. After graduation, I returned to Arizona to work at Marsh and
Associates Native Fish Lab, where I worked for a year. I traveled all over Arizona and
assisted in the monitoring and conservation of the region’s unique native fish. My
experiences working in Aquaculture and with Arizona native fish prepared me and
inspired me to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Arizona where I am now
developing rearing techniques for the Sonora sucker. What has been most influential to
my career thus far is not any specific memory or event, as there are countless amazing
experiences that remind me how lucky I am to work in this field, but instead it is all the
extraordinary biologists I meet that inspire me to continue in my career path.
Taylor will be using this award to obtain a wilderness first aid certification. “For my current position,
and likely for future positions as well, field work is a significant portion of the work.
Fieldwork is often conducted in very rural areas with minimal access to first responders.
For my safety and the safety of my coworkers, I want to learn more about wilderness
first aid. This has the potential to reduce harm in emergency situations and will help my
career by showing future employers that I prioritize field safety.”