My name is Madison Willert and I have a Ph.D. in biology from Georgia Tech. I entered the 2023 Knauss Fellowship Program through Georgia Sea Grant. My work in the National Sea Grant Office and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program supports… Full story
Student Blog


Soundscape Nature Journaling: Communicating Science
July 7, 2023
“What do you hear? How often do you pay attention to the sounds around you? What produces sound?” These are some of the questions I challenged Summer Marine Science Campers to consider as I introduced them to the idea of… Full story

Adjusting from academia to the speed of Congress
July 6, 2023
I am Knauss Fellow working in the office of Congressman John Garamendi, who represents California’s 8th Congressional District. As someone born and raised in the Lowcountry, my only exposure to the different paradigms of water management/rights in the Western U.S…. Full story

Rattlesnakes in Coastal Georgia
June 20, 2023
To be honest, I never thought a Georgia Sea Grant fellowship would appeal to me or my career path. My research interests have always been on inland systems from freshwater swamp to dry sandhills. My research as an undergraduate and… Full story

For the love of science: A discipline of creation and curiosity
June 5, 2023
I have always been in the pursuit of knowledge and research even when I didn’t understand what that meant. As a child, I would spend my summer afternoons in the front yard catching bees and counting how many could be… Full story

Looking back and looking forward: A new paradigm at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
May 12, 2023
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is a hidden gem along the coast of Georgia. It is a 22-square-mile protected parcel of the ocean that hosts a variety of unique organisms and habitat. As a Georgia Sea Grant state fellow, I… Full story

Bringing a community together to tackle marine debris
May 8, 2023
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more appreciative of the values and experiences my parents instilled in me at a young age. I find myself often reminiscing on all the camping, beach-going, and fishing trips we would spend together, and… Full story

From clothes to contamination: Lessons learned communicating the implications of plastic waste with academia and the public
April 5, 2023
Although I always enjoyed teaching others about science, I never really saw myself pursuing a career in education outside of becoming a professor in academia. However, participating in the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Research Traineeship demonstrated that… Full story

How little moments of discovery can inspire future careers
March 6, 2023
When I stepped off the bus in January 2015 for a week-long field trip with my high school, I had no idea that I was walking into the place I would work as a Marine Education Fellow eight years later…. Full story

Chronolog photo station at the UGA Aquarium captures the dynamic nature of the salt marsh
February 10, 2023
When I arrived at Skidaway Island back in September 2022 to begin my year-long Marine Education Fellowship at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, it didn’t take long for me to hit the trails that are practically in my… Full story