By: Zoey Pittman
Feb. 8, 2024
Pitch Two
To Dr. Riley, editor of MMJ Nerd Crew, I am submitting this pitch about researchers who are studying the estuarine fish communities and are developing an app to keep track of data for local researchers.
The basic idea of this story is to discuss how this app will be beneficial not only for researchers, but also fishermen in the area. The app is intended to be an easy track record of any data that is on estuarine fish breed. Some of the data that will be collected is how the fish breeds are adapting to different habitat changes with different sea levels. It will also help researchers predict any changes in future the juvenile estuarine fish population for when things like sea levels differentiate.
This involves STEM Journalism because it is an invention that will make the scientists’ life easier when studying this population of fish. They are looking at how the fish have evolved from their climates changing and having an accessible table of data will help the researchers understand how they can help the fish population when changes to their environment occur. Georgia is one of the only states that does not have a platform where any researcher or local fisherman can go to to see what this fish is and where this fish is in its stage of life.
The implications of this will allow people to know more about the fish breed. It will be an app where researchers can see what juvenile fish are in its stage of development and if any developmental changes have occurred from previous generations. It will also allow all the information to be more open to the public so they can learn how their water life is evolving.
So far for sources I have located two, Rachel Guy who is a researcher for Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR). My second source is Bryan Fluech who is responsible for coordinating marine extension activities throughout the state of Georgia and is also a fisheries specialist. I will be reaching out to them tomorrow, Friday the 9th, and also asking them who else I can contact for my third source.
I am still in the beginning stages of this story like contacting my sources and scheduling times for interviews. However, I hope to have all my interviews scheduled and completed by the end of next week.