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BRISTOL, R.I. – �������� University (RWU), a leader in marine science, and the (ASI), the region’s premier shark research organization, announce a partnership to collaborate on research projects and student internships focused on sharks in the Ocean State and the broader region. 

The partnership combines ASI’s extensive shark research expertise with RWU’s renowned Marine Biology program to enhance academic programming, research initiatives, and hands-on learning opportunities, preparing graduates for successful careers as shark biologists and researchers. 

“Through this partnership with the Atlantic Shark Institute, our students will gain invaluable practical experience by using cutting-edge research techniques to deepen our understanding of shark biology,” said David Taylor, Professor of Biology at RWU and fish ecologist, who will serve as faculty director of the RWU-ASI partnership. “This collaboration between �������� University and the Atlantic Shark Institute will leverage the expertise of both institutions to strengthen shark research and conservation efforts in the Atlantic region, while preparing students to become leaders in this field.” 

“�������� University has been a leader in the marine biology field for a long time, the staff is top notch, and their students leave well prepared for careers in marine science. We couldn’t imagine a better undergraduate partner for the ASI and all of our supporters,” said Jon Dodd, Executive Director of the ASI. “RWU offers a unique curriculum that includes theory, skill development, and practice as a key driver, making sure their students are well prepared for all aspects of their chosen careers, and we love that curriculum and preparedness.” 

Through the RWU-ASI partnership, students can earn academic credit while engaging in collaborative shark research projects and internships with the Atlantic Shark Institute. The institutions will work together to develop new shark research initiatives and engage RWU faculty and students in ASI’s ongoing projects, such as analysis of BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video System), the Acoustic Array detection system, and the coastal tagging study of shortfin mako, common thresher, blue sharks, and more. In addition, ASI’s shark datasets will be integrated into several RWU courses, including BIO 379: Shark Biology and Conservation and BIO 332: Fisheries Science. 

Thanks to Elizabeth Moore HD'24, whose support established the RWU Blue Fellows Program, an initiative of the university’s newly developing Blue Solutions Institute, ASI will begin hosting the first internships this summer.

This partnership coincides with the 50th anniversary of RWU’s prestigious Marine Biology program, which provides students with real-world research opportunities with faculty and internships at leading scientific institutions, starting in their first year. RWU’s Marine Biology program operates as a marine science station, with a marine biology wet lab utilizing flowing seawater from Mount Hope Bay, a saltwater learning platform, a shellfish hatchery, a research vessel, and the state’s only Aquatic Diagnostic Laboratory. Graduates hold careers in premier scientific institutions and organizations such as the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Smithsonian Institution, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and work on research, conservation, and aquaculture development of sharks, corals, tropical fish, marine mammals, and shellfish.