CLOSED – Boyd N. Lyon Scholarship – 2022

The Ocean Foundation and The Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund seek applicants for the Boyd N. Lyon Scholarship, for the year 2022. This Scholarship was created in honor of the late Boyd N. Lyon, a true friend and respected researcher who had a unique passion for the study and preservation of the majestic sea turtle. In his effort to research and protect these creatures, he implemented a hand capturing method for tagging and studying turtles without using nets. This method, while not commonly used by other researchers, was the one Boyd preferred, since it enabled the capture of the rarely studied male sea turtles.

Applications are invited from Masters and Ph.D. level students that work and/or research in an area consistent with the Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund’s mission to support field research projects that further our knowledge of sea turtle behavior and habitat use in the marine environment, as well as those projects that promote their management and conservation in coastal ecosystems. Applications to be considered must address questions from a wide range of fields in sea turtle research and conservation including, but not limited to life history studies, oceanography, marine affairs, environmental sciences, public policy, community planning and natural resources. One merit-based award of $2,500 will be made annually to a student at the Masters or Ph.D. level, based upon available funds.

Completed application materials must be received by 15 January 2022. See below application for additional information.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Be a student enrolled in an accredited College or University (in the U.S. or internationally) during the 2021/2022 academic year. Graduate students (minimum 9 credits completed) are eligible. Both full and part time students are welcome to apply.
• Clearly demonstrate interest in enhancing our understanding of sea turtle behavior and conservation, habitat needs, abundance, spatial and temporal distribution, as well as contribution(s) to advancing the public interest in such issues, as evidenced by both of the following.
  • A major field of study pertaining to oceanography, marine affairs, environmental sciences, public policy, community planning or natural resources.
  • Participation in cooperative or independent research, environmental activities or work experience related to the above mentioned disciplines.

Recipient Responsibilities:

• Write a letter to The Ocean Foundation Board of Directors explaining how this scholarship assisted your professional / personal growth; and document how the funds were utilized.
• Have your “Profile” (an article about you and your studies/research etc. as it pertains to sea turtles) published on the Ocean Foundation/Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund website.
• Acknowledge The Ocean Foundation/ Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund in any publication(s) or presentations that may result from research that the scholarship assisted in funding, and provide a copy of said article(s) to The Ocean Foundation.

Additional Information:

The Ocean Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public foundation and is the host of the Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund dedicated to the those projects that enhance our understanding of sea turtle behavior and conservation, habitat needs, abundance, spatial and temporal distribution, and research diving safety.

• For more information about The Ocean Foundation, please see www.oceanfdn.org
• For more information about the Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Fund, please see www.boydlyonseaturtlefund.org
• Questions regarding the Boyd N. Lyon Scholarship should be addressed to [email protected]

Please download the full application form below: