From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Bahamian Scientist’s Turtle Research to Be Published in Major Science Journal
By Arthia Nixon
Jul 20, 2009 - 2:23:58 PM
Bahamian environmental scientist Stefan Moss (forefront) collects blood from a freshwater turtle on the Tennessee River. Moss’ groundbreaking findings will be published in Chemosphere, a leading scientific journal.
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Scientist
Stefan Moss plans to conduct similar study in The Bahamas
TENNESSEE
– A young Bahamian scientist’s groundbreaking study on freshwater
turtles has earned him the opportunity to be featured in one of the
world’s leading international journals. Stefan Moss, who spent two
years collecting samples and data from the reptiles he encountered in
the Tennessee River will now have the findings of his research documented
in
Chemosphere.
Chemosphere
is a well-known international journal focused on disseminating information
related to all aspects of environmental science, especially important
new discoveries or further developments in important fields of investigation
related to the environment and human health.
Hard
work has certainly paid off for Moss who was born in Grand Bahama but
raised in the capital city of Nassau by his parents Keith and Sylvia
Moss Greenwade. He double majored in Chemistry and Biology and plans
to duplicate his efforts on the Tennessee turtles to the endangered
freshwater turtles in his native Bahamas, particularly on the islands
of Inagua, Cat Island and Eleuthera.
“It
didn’t start off as me with aspirations of getting published in a
respected journal like
Chemosphere,” admits Moss. “As an
environmental scientist, I was more focused on figuring out what chemicals
were in the river and their affects on the environment, and possibly
human health. Instead, it seems I uncovered - and documented - a lot
of valuable information in the field of herpetology, which is the study
of reptiles and amphibians.”
“The
project, which was funded by a conservation grant from the Tennessee
Aquarium Research Institute (TNARI) focused on the freshwater turtles
in the river because they are long lived organisms and are therefore
able to provide a large quantity of data over a longer period of time,”
added Moss. “Sure enough, after two years of collecting body measurements
and blood samples, there was so much new information on them that my
professor Dr. Thomas Wilson challenged me to publish it. Unbelievably,
after four years of work, it’s going to be published.”
Bahamian environmental scientist Stefan Moss (pictured) plans to duplicate the research that earned him recognition in science journal, Chemosphere on the freshwater turtles in his native Bahamas.
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Moss’
work led him to the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)
in Charleston, North Carolina, where he worked in the Hollings Marine
Laboratory. He also collaborated with renowned sea turtle scientist
Dr. Jennifer Keller who allowed him access to the facilities for weeks
at a time, which he took to his advantage sometimes working as much
as 20 hours a day.
“Being recognized for this work is the highlight of my scientific
career thus far,” says Moss. “It’s now a new contribution
to science in an area that’s been studied before but not in this particular
way. I feel that Bahamians need to become more environmentally conscious
and continue their efforts of encouraging students to take up science
careers. I am confident that if we get creative and think beyond the
norm, we can offer exciting opportunities to our own scientists and
those visiting our nation. There is still a whole lot we don’t know
about our country in terms of science and I hope to come back home and
help contribute to eradicating the brain drain we so frequently hear
about. We must come together, and pool our talents into making The Bahamas
a model country as it relates to science.”
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