Troy University News

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Tom Davis
Troy Office of University Relations
334/670-3196
tomdavis@troy.edu

Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)

TSU biology student wins national fellowship, participates in sea lab program

    Troy State University marine biology student Matthew Hendricks got his feet wet recently with the help of a prestigious fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
   Hendricks, a junior from Skipperville, was awarded a fellowship from the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program to study marine science at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). The DISL program, located on Alabama’s Dauphin Island, is a 12-week research program that attracts students from across the country.
   Hendricks was one of only seven students selected nationwide for the National Science Foundation fellowship and was one of the first TSU students chosen to participate in the DISL program, said Dr. Stephen Landers, associate professor of biological and environmental sciences at TSU.
    “The National Science Foundation fellowship is highly competitive,” Dr. Landers said. “Matthew has helped break new ground for TSU’s marine biology program.”
   Hendricks said the fellowship enabled him to pursue a lifelong interest.
   “I love the outdoors, but I grew up in a non-marine environment, so Dauphin Island and the simplicity of life of the marine species there really intrigued me,” he said.
    The three-month program included a daily 12-hour routine of fieldwork and research, he said, working with the resident faculty and scientists at DISL. He also conducted an independent study project, in which he examined shellfish communities that have developed around artificial oyster reefs recently installed in Mobile Bay.
   “I sampled six artificial reef sites, collected specimens and compared them to natural oyster-reef communities in the bay,” he said. Hendricks’ research revealed that each test site was supporting the same species, which was a good sign, he said.
   “It proved that the reef restoration effort was also restoring habitat,” he said. “Reef restoration seems to be producing more commercial oysters while simultaneously restoring habitat in Mobile Bay.”
    Hendricks enjoyed the specialized work that was integral to the DISL program.
   “I was able to apply general classroom instruction to specific situations,” he said. “The program really tested how much you’ve learned in college. It was a good experience”