Ben Ross, a USF St. Petersburg graduate student and science enthusiast has spent a lot of time outdoors. Aside from snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking in his free time, he’s researching single-celled organisms in coral reefs and developing conservation methods as a part of his dissertation.
When Ross, 28, reflected on his research topic, he saw it as something he was doing for more than just a degree.
“I chose this topic because I am a conservationist at heart, and wanted to work on something that could be used practically to aid in the monitoring and decision making necessary for intelligent conservation choices,” he said.
In addition to marine biology, Ross is passionate about environmental conservation and stresses the importance of “communication, outreach and education” in the scientific realm.
Ross grew up in Southeast Asia and developed many of his ideas on conservation there. He saw how countries with high population provided for their people. They didn’t have the resources to focus on protecting the environment.
He arrived in Florida and began working on his projects soon after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2011.
“The spill raised concerns about what would happen to the Florida reef tract if it was exposed to oil,” Ross said.
Ross hopes to travel to various environments to do his research. He has already worked in the Caribbean and the Keys, so the Pacific Ocean is next on his list. His eventual goal is to become a professor.
Ross has gained academic knowledge about marine science and research throughout his education and studies, but graduate school has helped him beyond the realm of science.
“I think a big part of being a grad student is learning how to communicate your ideas and results effectively, how to write for publication, how to design experiments and be thorough in your methods, and how to work effectively with others,” he said. “Those are all things that are difficult to learn in classes, and you really need real-world experience to move past what you learn in college courses.”
Even though he is currently working on his Ph.D. dissertation, Ross still takes time for early bird watching, video and board games.
