The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs is proud to congratulate master’s student Tessa Marks on receiving a Fulbright Research Grant to Honduras.

Marks, a student in Marine & Environmental Affairs and International Studies, will conduct research on mangrove forests in the Bay Islands of Honduras, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Working with the Bay Islands Conservation Association on the island of Roatán, she will explore how ecological conditions, governance structures, and community priorities influence mangrove protection and restoration efforts.

Her project will combine earth science, spatial analysis, policy research, and community engagement, including the development of an interactive mapping tool and a geographic storytelling platform to highlight environmental change and local perspectives.

“My goal is to improve our understanding of how governance, community, and ecology interact to shape ecosystem health and human well-being within the Bay Islands,” Marks said. “I hope that through this work I can contribute to ongoing protection and restoration efforts while helping to highlight the incredible work already being done in Honduras within such an ecologically important region.”

We congratulate Tessa on this outstanding achievement and look forward to following her work through the Fulbright Program.

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Photo courtesy of Tessa Marks.