Eva Faber, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Sophomore, Wins Prestigious Marjot Foundation Award

Eva Faber, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Sophomore, Wins Prestigious Marjot Foundation Award

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Marjot Foundation of Falmouth, Mass. are proud to announce that Eva Faber, North Bog Road, Edgartown, has been awarded a one-year grant to study blue claw crabs in the Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. Ms. Faber, a sophomore at MVRHS, will work with William Wilcox, the Water Resource Planner from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and Luanne Johnson, a wildlife biologist completing her PhD in Environmental Studies at Antioch University. Eva’s research will coordinate with the Great Pond Foundation to gain a better understanding of how mechanical pond openings influence blue crab abundance, distribution and recruitment. She will document what role the crabs play in their ecosystems.  The results of her study may prove helpful both to local shellfish constables and to the Great Pond Foundation.

“This is the very first time we have awarded a Marjot grant to a student from Martha’s Vineyard. We certainly hope to be able to support many more students in the future” said Dr. Carol Reinisch, President of the Foundation. Eva’s research proposal on the role of blue crabs in the aquatic ecosystem was extensively reviewed by Marjot’s Science Advisory Board and judged to be one of the top three that will be funded.

The Marjot Foundation supports independent research in environmental science in public high schools and has funded over 50 students from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont since 1998. Students in grades 9-11 are awarded grants for one full year to conduct environmental research projects they have designed. They then share their work with other students and the scientific community. Awardees are expected to present a mid year report to Marjot trustees and to compete in local and state science fairs.  The Marjot Foundation is supported solely by private contributions, foundations and corporations and receives no public funding.

Ms. Faber is a graduate of the Edgartown School and was the winner of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Science Fair this year.