AFS seeks applications from undergraduate and graduate students to the annual Student Writing Contest. This contest recognizes students for excellence in the communications of fisheries research to the general public. Please submit a 500 to 700 word article explaining their original research or a research project in their lab or school. Students may write about research that has been completed, is in progress, or is in the planning stages. The article should be written in language understandable to the general public (i.e., a journalistic style that avoids jargon) and should clearly describe the objectives of the research, its expected or observed results, and its importance to society. Photos or graphics are allowed but not required. The winning article will be published in Fisheries Magazine following the AFS Annual Meeting. Applications are ranked using a rubric and selected by a committee of the AFS Education Section.

2025 Recipient:

Joel Zhang

Carleton University

Paper: The intersection of anglers and fisheries: should we be using local anglers to help with monitoring?

2025 Runners-Up:

Mary Adebote

Virginia Tech

Paper: Exploring the impact of changing flounder populations on recreational anglers

Kassidy Frame

South Dakota State University

Paper: Ecological modeling for Bighead and Silver Carp control

Submit Your Application

Please include your full contact information (i.e., address, e-mail, phone, etc.) to complete the package.

The Awards Committee is dedicated to AFS goal of increasing diversity and inclusion within our Society. As part of this effort, we highly encourage nominations for individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the fisheries field.

Contact: Marty Hamel
Email: hamel@uga.edu