Shelley Edmundson

Shelley Edmundson’s 2011 Vision Fellowship award supported her as she earned her PhD in Zoology/Marine Biology at University of New Hampshire, where her doctoral research focused on channeled whelks. Channeled whelks, nicknamed ‘conchs,’ are local marine snails that support one of the Vineyard’s largest commercial fisheries. Throughout her research, Shelley collaborated with local fishermen to collect data and develop research experiments involving whelk growth rates. After graduating in September 2016, Shelley became the Executive Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust (MVFPT), an Island non-profit organization established to help ensure the sustainability of the Vineyard’s commercial fishing community, its heritage, and its access to local seafood for generations to come. Through her work with the MVFPT, Shelley continues to work in collaboration with the island’s fishermen toward the common goal of realizing the promise of healthy fish stocks and thriving fishermen now and in the future.