Sophomore Sojo Murphy finds the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center internship rewarding as a marine science student. Activities vary from supervising grade schoolers through dissections to guiding the public through the touch tank. Photos by Penh Alicandro ’22
Minutes from Eckerd College’s campus, Tampa Bay Watch connects students’ passion for marine science with real-world experiences that directly support the health of Tampa Bay.
“Tampa Bay Watch is dedicated to fostering a healthy Tampa Bay watershed through community-driven restoration projects, education programs and outreach initiatives,” says Olivia Cadrecha, communications manager of Tampa Bay Watch.
“Our goal is to make a lasting impact on the environment, demonstrating the power of collective action in our community,” she adds.
The local nonprofit has built a strong relationship with Eckerd College over the years, regularly hosting interns and alumni who share a commitment to protecting the marine environment.
“We have a very strong relationship with Eckerd,” Cadrecha says. “We have a lot of interns from the College and regularly collaborate on projects—most recently, an alumni-led workshop at our Discovery Center.”
Sojo Murphy ’28
Internships offer a variety of opportunities—including environmental education, animal care, fieldwork, habitat restoration and herpetology husbandry.
The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the St. Pete Pier allows the public to interact with local marine life in an educational setting.
“Students gain hands-on experience, from teaching environmental programs on the water to caring for native species and participating in restoration efforts that help restore the bay every day,” Cadrecha explains.
One of those students is Sojo Murphy, a sophomore marine science and animal studies student from Springfield, Virginia.
“I first learned about the Tampa Bay Watch after visiting the Discovery Center at the St. Pete Pier with friends. Later, I saw an internship position for federal work-study students on Triton Track,” Sojo says.
A recent addition to the Watch, Sojo assists with public education programs, including dissections for visiting school groups. “I helped with two seventh-grade classes doing lionfish dissections. I assisted the students while another staff member led the program. It was awesome to see how engaged they were.”
Interns trained in education administer public programs and also assist with research.
Sojo also gets hands-on experience working with marine life.
“I work with the critters in the touch tank [and] feeding the mangrove tank. The seahorse tank, the lionfish tank, and a few others. I take care of them, learn their feeding schedules. And make sure everyone’s doing okay. It’s really cool.”
“I love starfish—they’re my top favorite—but also I love crabs and urchins. We have pencil urchins and ones that collect shells and wear them like hats. We even give them little Halloween decorations; they’re super fun,” Sojo recalls.
“I’ve started getting better at fish identification. Our big mangrove tank has so many species, and I‘ve finally learned which fish is which. That’s been really rewarding.”
The internship is helping to shape Sojo’s interest in marine biology and their future field of study.
“I came to Eckerd because I knew I loved marine biology, but I wasn’t sure which niche I wanted to pursue,” they say. “Working at Tampa Bay Watch is helping me figure out what animals I like working with and what environmental issues I’m most passionate about.”
“I want to get as much experience as possible, from research to public education, so I can learn what I enjoy and what direction I might want to take for grad school.”
Cadrecha says the primary goal of the partnership is part of Tampa Bay Watch’s mission to “raise the next generation to care about the environment—to take an interest in it and want to protect it for generations to come.
“Partnerships with local colleges like Eckerd are invaluable, because they let us engage with students who are passionate about the natural world while giving them real experience in their field.”
Through community engagement, Tampa Bay Watch is able to raise awareness about their mission and find individuals who want to volunteer and participate.
“We connect with the community through social media, local events and outreach tables, but our Discovery Center at the St. Pete Pier is really the heart of it. We run daily programs, dissections and tank feedings—all designed to help people understand how important the Tampa Bay estuary is and what they can do to protect it.”
Cadrecha says the partnership continues to grow, with many Eckerd graduates now working at Tampa Bay Watch. Reagan Fennessy ’21, an Eckerd alumna, is the Watch’s oyster shell recycling program coordinator.
“We have quite a few Eckerd graduates working here,” Cadrecha says. “It’s inspiring to see alumni return to continue protecting the bay they studied beside.”
For Sojo, the nonprofit provides another way to explore her passions. “Tampa Bay Watch connects what I’m learning in my marine science classes with real-world experience,” Sojo explains. “It’s helping me understand how research, education and community outreach all come together to protect our environment.”
