Alf Thompson Memorial Scholarship interns experience shark research at Bimini Shark Lab, August 2014.

Three interns were selected for the 2014 Alf Thompson Memorial Scholarships: Fran Rahming and Luke Johnson from Freeport, and Brynton Johnson from Nassau. The students interned at the Bimini Biological Research Station in summer 2014, conducting a variety of research activities. They tracked lemon sharks to examine growth and behavior through accelerometers that measured muscle contractions and relaxations. They also studied social patterns of lemon sharks and conducted research on Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks and stingrays.

Fran, who interned at the Shark Lab for two months, states that this experience has mentally propelled her forward and shaped her future career decisions.  “My experience at the field station has left a permanent mark on my life. There I have acquired profound knowledge of technology and research methods and made life-long friends”.