Amber Westerbur and Melanie Perello
Amber Westerbur (left) and Melanie Perello. Amber is Melanie's mentor and the coastal program manager in Minnesota.

Managed by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, the Coastal Management Fellowship offers on-the-job training for postgraduate students in coastal resource management and policy. Candidates are matched with state and jurisdictional coastal zone programs to work on select projects chosen by NOAA. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant recruits and nominates students attending Illinois and Indiana universities.

This year, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant candidate Melanie Perello was matched with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program to provide data, tools and resources to area practitioners and landowners tackling Lake Superior erosion in Minnesota. Perello comes to the fellowship from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where she earned her doctorate in applied earth sciences. She holds a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Plymouth State University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Westminster College. Perello will start her fellowship in August.

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Join the 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz! 🌎🦋📸Starting Earth Day, educators, students, youth groups, and families are invited to help document biodiversity across the Great Lakes region using iNaturalist. A kick-off webinar is scheduled for April 16th at 2 pm CT.Participate anytime during the four‑week event. Snap photos, make observations, and contribute to real conservation data while getting students outside and engaged with nature. Learn more and get ready to explore: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/annual-great-lakes-bioblitz/2026 #TeachingTuesday#GreatLakes
Don’t miss out! Join us for a deep dive into the latest Lake Michigan fisheries science.Topics will include:-Reef restoration impacts on aquatic and fish species-Wild reproduction rates for salmon and trout species from the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program-Fisheries update from the Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesLearn more & register: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_86eBlPnbjdm7pPg