Biology students from a community college located in the eastern part of North Carolina are receiving support and getting a boost from the research community for their STEM study on waterdogs. From the Nash Community College (NCC), these students are preparing to move to bigger research facilities to continue extensive research work or receive an internship. It all started with the study of the salamander species found in the state's Neuse and Tar rivers.
According to the Rocky Mountain Telegram, the NCC students have initially been aided by the Duke Energy Water Resources' $99,850 grant to study salamanders. It enabled the student researchers to develop ways that could improve its ecosystem's water quality at the said areas.
The research has also enabled NCC to establish its own Water Quality Institute, which has contributed enormous data about the salamanders for other researchers and agencies, including the state's Department of Energy and Natural Resources. From a community college initiative, the research has been dubbed as graduate-level and thus has received the attention of other experts.
The NCC biology students started studying the waterdogs in 2011 for the state's Wildlife Resources Commission, which had wanted to come up with conservation methods for the waterdogs species. The salamanders, also known as mudpuppy, according to National Geographic, have since suffered a shift in its ecosystem that was observed as early as the 1970s. Modern life and developments have polluted the rivers around the east of North Carolina, including Neuse and Tar.
In the home of the Neuse River Waterdog: Coal Ash Continues to Spill Into River, Where Is Duke Energy? https://t.co/alJ9BPirx8 #salamander
— Jenny Loda (@jennyloda) October 19, 2016
Since the research's success, many of the students that have worked on the NCC's Water Quality Institute were able to share their findings and work or have acquired better opportunities elsewhere after graduation. They have become competitive and valuable researchers thanks to their experience at the institute.
"I developed many skills through my research at Nash Community College," Nathaniel Akers said. "Many people from other universities and organizations are always interested to hear about my scholarly experiences at the community college," he added.
