Whether researching sharks in the Gulf of Mexico or studying fish in the Everglades, Reni Poston-Hymel is focused on a future in marine conservation. She secured a highly sought-after internship conducting fieldwork with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which was instrumental in shaping her career goals.
Now Poston-Hymel is graduating summa cum laude with a degree in marine biology.
"I am really interested in conservation and fieldwork. I like being able to apply marine science to the conservation of either species or ecosystems," Poston-Hymel said. "When I was in the Everglades, I really enjoyed working in the field, handling animals and being in the water."
Poston-Hymel's love for marine biology started in coastal Panama City where she was born. Her father was in the Air Force, and although she moved around, she never lost sight of what she wanted to pursue as a career. After graduating from high school in Virginia, she applied to the University of South Florida.
A trip to the USF St. Petersburg solidified her decision. The waterfront campus offers a variety of marine-related research opportunities. As a student in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Poston-Hymel worked with professors in the field and in laboratory settings on campus. As part of her honors thesis, she also worked with graduate faculty in USF's College of Marine Science.
While at USF St. Petersburg, Poston-Hymel served as president of the campus S.T.E.M. club and volunteered at the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center on the St. Petersburg Pier. She also worked as a campus tour guide, giving prospective students an up-close view of the campus and providing insights into academic programs and colleges.
"The St. Petersburg campus has such a good sense of community among its students and faculty, and that's just something I want to share with people,” she said.
In the summer of 2023, Poston-Hymel participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, where she worked in the Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Lab
at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The goal was to examine the effects of sea lettuce, a type of macroalgae, and their impacts on oysters. It was there that she honed her skills in science communication and public speaking.
"Being able to do a presentation on that subject and getting that experience in a more casual setting was great. Not everybody gets the experience of learning how to speak publicly about their science and the work they're doing. I think it's a very valuable skill within the scientific community," she said.
In the summer of 2024, Poston-Hymel secured an internship with the NOAA Fisheries Panama City Laboratory, where she got to work alongside scientists in the Shark Population Assessment Group. As part of the internship, she traveled to the Everglades, where the team sampled sawfish, sharks and rays. It was through this hands-on experience that she discovered her passion for fieldwork.
After graduation, she will return to her parents’ house in Panama City where she will begin looking for a job related to field conservation or science communication with the goal of applying to graduate schools in the future.
"I think Florida has such cool and unique ecosystems that I'd like to spend time in, but I know there's a lot of cool opportunities elsewhere. Ultimately, I would like to stay on the Gulf Coast, but I'm keeping my options open," she said.