- Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea faces staffing cuts with eight AmeriCorps members laid off.
- Loss affects marine life care, education, and daily operations.
- Watch the video to see how the cuts will put a strain on operations, affecting water systems and specimen collections.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Behind the tanks and touch pools of the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, a quiet but significant shift is taking place. Eight AmeriCorps members, who have served as essential staff, are being laid off, and the impact is already being felt.
Matthew Jammal, one of the departing workers, has been with the lab for nearly a year through the AmeriCorps program. He says the loss goes far beyond just losing a job.
“This facility relied on us for things like water systems, specimen collection, and making sure medical equipment is clean,” said Jammal. “Now, that’s going to be a big strain on the remaining staff.”As Jammal prepares for his final week, he reflects on the role AmeriCorps has played not just in the lab’s operations, but in shaping the lives of the young people who served.
“This program is important. It dedicates young people to service and puts them on a good path toward making a real impact,” he said Jack Rudloe, the founder of Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and a longtime advocate for marine education, says the contributions of AmeriCorps members have been invaluable.
“All that stuff we were relying on AmeriCorps, which enabled us to make all these different advances,” Rudloe said. “It’s been a wonderful program, and it’s a terrible, terrible shame to cut it out.”From educating school groups to maintaining vital life-support systems for sea creatures, the AmeriCore team filled a wide range of roles that the small nonprofit will now have to stretch to cover.
Jammal says he’s proud of the difference they made, even if their time is ending.
“It’s a shame, because we did make a difference here. We did change the world for some people.”
The last day for the eight AmeriCorps workers at Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is scheduled for next week.
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