Gretchen is a first-year Master’s student at Southeastern Louisiana University. With a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from The University of Tampa and a love for herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles), she is lucky enough to combine those two worlds in her research. She is investigating environmental DNA (eDNA) as a conservation tool to detect and monitor the elusive Georgia Blind Cave Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) in submerged cave systems in the Floridian Aquifer system, as well as conducting the first complete ecological survey of these understudied habitats. Gretchen has been diving for over 6 years, with the last two spent as a divemaster at her favorite dive shop in Tampa, FL. Gretchen is ecstatic to utilize this grant for her cave diving certification, which will allow her to conduct her research effectively and safely.

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