The Northwest Straits Foundation is proud to welcome the 2025 Caroline Gibson Scholars in Marine Studies. The scholarship honors NWSF Director Caroline Gibson’s enduring legacy to the Salish Sea. During her lifetime, Caroline worked selflessly to build a diverse community of passionate individuals, organizations, and agencies committed to restoring its coastlines, waters, and habitat. Two SMEA students were recipients of this award: second-year student Taylor Hughes, and first-year student Isaac Olson.

Taylor Hughes is dedicated to protecting and restoring nearshore habitats, with a focus on kelp forest ecology and conservation. Her research explores the resilience of bull kelp to environmental stressors, combining lab experiments and field monitoring to understand patterns of decline and persistence.

Isaac Olson‘s graduate work focuses on driving marine conservation efforts through science-backed communication. Specifically, he hopes to uplift and engage in place-based environmental communication surrounding ongoing marine threats.

Congratulations, Taylor and Isaac!