Fellow:Rebecca Ball


Name Rebecca Ball School (Cohort) Central Michigan University (2023 cohort) Majoring in Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Country United States Email Special:EmailUser/Ball1rd

Bio

Hi! I’m Rebecca Ball! I am currently a undergraduate student at Central Michigan University. I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. I have had an interest in nature and animals from an early age, nurtured mainly by my mom through rescue pets and the 4H program. I currently have several rescue dogs living with my mom and my two rescue cats who live with me, Raven and Sweetie. For fun, I like to crochet and go to lots of different kinds of concerts. As I grew in maturity, education, and awareness, the ocean called my name. I responded to her call with an academic focus in Marine Science, specifically with an insatiable passion for conservation of our valuable coral reefs. I set out putting my passion into action, since there is so little time left for the reefs. In summer of 2022, I spent several weeks in Key Largo, Florida with Marine Lab. There I conducted Seagrass surveys, a fundamental species to the health of the oceans and planet, in order to discover the number of species and their abundance left in the area. I also conducted monitoring research on Coral Bleaching and coral disease. This research was then tied together with a survey and identification of the number of fish and crustaceans in the mangroves. It is all connected. In spring of 2023, I conducted fish species identification research internationally in St. George’s Caye, Belize at Ecomar for REEF: Tropical Western Atlantic Region, the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. I also participated in Queen Conch survey research to determine the abundance and size of conch in a transect area. Finally, in an effort of environmental preservation, significant time was spent cleaning beaches of human trash and waste for the Citizen Science research survey. Again, it is all connected. Through this work I earned a REEF Level 2 Surveyor for Tropical Western Atlantic Region certification. Having returned to Mount Pleasant to complete my course work and degree in December 2024, I am also currently looking for additional marine conservation opportunities, particularly ones that provide a research certification. Post bachelor’s degree I will be pursuing a Masters in Marine Biology while conducting research on coral and zooxanthellae relationships. My professional and life goal is to become a marine biologist, conservationist, and advocate for our ocean and coral reefs. I want to specifically work in the area of coral restoration and become a voice for the voiceless.

Achievements

- NOAA Scholarship award winner ( Belize) - Selected Researcher for Marine Labs - Selected Researcher for REEF: Tropical Western Atlantic Region - Level 2 Surveyor Certificate, REEF : Tropical Western Atlantic Region - Selected researcher for Queen Conch Survey - Selected researcher for Citizen Science