Gorenflo's Presents Scholarship to Southern Miss Student

March 16, 2005

BILOXI – Gorenflo's Tackle Shop and Marina Store here recently awarded a scholarship to University of Southern Mississippi graduate student Paul Grammer.

Scholarship winner – Danny and Laurie Pitalo, right and third from right, present a scholarship from Gorenflo's Tackle Shop and Marina Store in Biloxi to Paul Grammer, master's student at The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. The scholarship is in recognition of Grammer's research on bay anchovy, a major source of food for species important to recreational and commercial fisheries. Participating in the ceremony were Grammer's major professor, Dr. Bruce Comyns, left, and on the back row, GCRL fisheries biologist Jim Franks and Errol White. Franks and White are weighmasters in Gorenflo's annual saltwater fishing tournaments.

Grammer is working toward his master's degree in coastal sciences at the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. Danny and Laurie Pitalo of Gorenflo's presented the $500 check in recognition of Grammer's research on the bay anchovy.

Also participating in the presentation were Dr. Bruce Comyns, Grammer's major professor in the Department of Coastal Sciences at the GCRL; Jim Franks, fisheries biologist with the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the GCRL; and Errol White, weighmaster with Franks for Gorenflo's annual saltwater fishing tournaments.

Grammer's research focuses on bay anchovy, a major source of food for species important to recreational and commercial fisheries. Grammer is looking especially at recruitment, the factors that influence the success of bay anchovy larvae making it into the adult population.

"The scholarship reflects Danny and Laurie's recognition of the importance of working toward sustainable sport fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico," Franks said. "Paul's research is one facet of fisheries research and development underway at the GCRL. We appreciate their support."

Grammer is the son of Paul and Becky Grammer, Tiffin, Ohio.

The GCRL and the department are part of the Southern Miss College of Science and Technology.