Eric Tosso

I earned my B.S. from Coastal Carolina University in Biology and Marine Science. It was such an enjoyable experience, I decided to come back to Coastal to earn my M.S. in Coastal Marine and Wetland Ecology. Much like the other GK-12 Fellows at CCU, I am very interested the conservation of wetland habitats and the flora and fauna these systems contain. My thesis reseach was completed at Laguna de Cube in Northwestern Ecuador where I compared the distribution of reptiles and amphibians within forested sites to those found in agro-forestry plantations. Laguna de Cube is an internationally recognized wetland for conservation priority; my research will serve as a preliminary survey of the wetland's herpetofauna as well as a conservation tool for its land managers.

I am very excited and grateful to be a part of the NSF GK-12 program at CCU. The chance to teach a younger generation and potentially get students interested in a career in the sciences is a very rewarding one for me. There are numerous ways that I will be able to implement my research into the classroom. These include field trips to wetlands in South Carolina where the students can learn about designing scientific investigations, identifying plants and animals using taxonomic keys, and learning the effects that anthropogenic disturbance has on the health of natural systems.

Outside of academia I hold a variety of interests including hiking, rock climbing, and playing tennis and golf. Travel is also of great interest to me and I hope to take my first trip to Europe in the summer following the receipt of my degree.