This project will fund one graduate research fellowship in the Forage Fish Research Program, a public-private partnership between Florida Wildlife Research (FWRI), leading academic institutions, and non-governmental to address research questions regarding Florida’s marine resources. Fellows in this program are expected to conduct projects that provide an increased understanding in trends in forage fish abundance and composition and their linkages with marine predators; foster the next generation of marine scientists by allowing a graduate student to work with established fisheries biologists; disseminate the results of the research through the and the Forage Fish Coalition’s media outlets, and; publish one manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal.