WDHOF awardee and marine biologist Jessica Pate removes fishing line while swimming with a manta
Bethany Augliere
Forty-seven divers from 14 countries were recently awarded grants and scholarships by the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) to advance their careers.
WDHOF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and raising awareness of the contributions of outstanding women divers. Beginning in 2002, every year it awards grants and scholarships to individuals in the diving community around the world to provide education, financial and career assistance.
WDHOF offers two types of awards: scholarships provide support for research in several marine related fields; grants provide funding to learn to dive or continue dive education. Biomedical marine researcher and scholarship chair Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D., explains “these opportunities, especially the number of dive training grants we offer each year, don’t exist elsewhere.” Since its inception, WDHOF has awarded over half a million dollars to 471 individuals.
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Ashlynn White from Scotland is one of the forty-seven recipients of the 2024 WDHOF scholarships.
Courtesy Ashlynn
This year, there was a record number of applicants and a total of $57,000 awarded. “The word has gotten out that these opportunities are available,” Pomponi says. “We had a very diverse applicant pool—not only from the U.S. but also from many other countries, and the applicants are all so qualified. We’d love to offer more grants.”
One grant recipient is Ashlynn White from Scotland, who is pursuing a master’s degree in ecology from the University of Glasgow, though she says her passion for the ocean began at a young age. She now researches sea snails (genus Drupella) that feed on living corals, and her thesis centers on how they respond to increasing temperatures.
“She is excited to use this grant to travel to French Polynesia, where she will collaborate at the Center for Island Research and Environmental Observatory (CRIOBE) lab to conduct her research,” according to a press release by WDHOF. White was awarded the Graduate Marine Conservation Scholarship worth $2,000, sponsored by WDHOF Member Meg Donat.
Nawras Abbes from Tunisia is a second-year doctoral student at the University of Tunis El Manar who researches coral genetics and ecology along the Tunisian coast. She received the Ocean Wishes Scholarship to support the sampling component of her work, as she is both a certified diver and member of the Tabarka Diving Club.
Recognizing the significance of responsible environmental practices, Abbes advocates for positive local impact, “ensuring future generations enjoy thriving marine life while coexisting harmoniously with the environment,” she said in a statement.
