Kimberly Stewart, MS, DVM, PhD
Biomedical Sciences
Location: Chelonian Laboratory
Room #11-001
Phone: +1 869-465-4161 Ext. 401-1199
kstewart@rossvet.edu.kn
Kimberly Stewart is an Associate Professor of Exotic and Avian Medicine at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) and the Founder and Director of the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN). She is a Biology graduate of Georgia Southern University (GSU) (Bachelor and MSc) and a DVM and PhD graduate of RUSVM. A native of Statesboro, Georgia, USA; Georgia is where she was introduced to sea turtles, first as an intern with the St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Program on St. Catherine’s Island, GA and then with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Sapelo Island, GA. When she moved to St. Kitts to attend veterinary school she recognized the need for the development of a formal sea turtle program and this led to the establishment of the SKSTMN in January 2003. Since that time, under Dr. Stewart’s leadership it has since grown to include both morning and night patrols for all species nesting on the island; in- water capture of foraging juveniles; a sea turtle health assessment program; sustainable livelihood development; and a conservation and sea turtle health education program. She is the St. Kitts WIDECAST Country Coordinator and sits on a number of environmental stewardship committees in St. Kitts. Under her leadership the SKSTMN has been the recipient of both the Sustainable Tourism and Most Eco-Friendly Business Award from the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. She has been the recipient of the International Sea Turtle Society’s Champions Award, Adtalem Global Education’s Doing Well by Doing Good Award; RUSVM’s Inaugural Alumni Distinguished Service/Research Award; and the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) Community Outreach Excellence Award (COE).
1998; BS in Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
2001; MSc in Biology; Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
2006; DVM; Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
2021; PhD; Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts
Dr. Stewart’s research and teaching interests focus on the management and health of nesting and foraging populations of leatherback, hawksbill, and green sea turtle populations in St. Kitts and in exposing youth and veterinary students to the opportunities in sea turtle conservation and health.
Gainor K, Stewart KM, Picknell A, Russ M, Makela N, Watson K, Mancuso DM, Malik YS, Ghosh S. First Report on Detection and Complete Genomic Analysis of a Novel CRESS DNA Virus from Sea Turtles. Pathogens. 2023 Apr 15;12(4):601. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12040601. PMID: 37111487; PMCID: PMC10142553.
Rodríguez PA, Stewart K, Picknell A, Pemberton L, Tepedino A, Capaldo D, Dennis MM. 2023. Pathology of Hatchling Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Mortalities Occurring While Under Rehabilitative Care, 2015-2021. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 59(1), 2023, Open access. DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-22-00013.
Stewart KM, Conan A, Norton TM, Hill BA, Smeriglio M, Clements K, and Knobel DL. 2022. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Nesting and Health Parameters in St. Kitts, 2003–2016. Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 33(1), 18-34, (15 March 2023). https://doi.org/10.5818/JHMS-D-21-00036.
Dennis MM, Poppenga R, Conan A, Hill K, Hargrave S, Maroun V, Stewart KM. 2020. Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) hatch success and essential and nonessential metals in eggs and embryos from nests in St. Kitts (2015). Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Dec;161(Pt A):111726. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111726. Epub 2020 Oct 9. PMID: 33045529.
Choi E, Charles KE, Charles KL, Stewart KM, Morrall CE, Dennis MM. 2020. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Embryo and Hatchling Pathology in Grenada with Comparison to St. Kitts. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 19(1):111-123.
Hill K, Stewart K, Sreekumari R, Conan A, Dennis MM.. 2019. Pathology of Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Embryos and Hatchlings from Nests in St. Kitts (2015-2016). Journal of Wildlife Diseases: 55(4). DOI: 10.7589/2018- 07-169.
Stewart KM, Norton TM, Mitchell MA, and Knobel DL. 2018. Sea Turtle Education Program Development, Implementation, and Outcome Assessment in St.
Kitts, West Indies. Chelonian Conservation and Biology: December 2018, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 216-226.
Stewart KM, Norton TM, Tackes DS, and Mitchell MA. 2016. Leatherback Ecotourism Development, Implementation, and Outcome Assessment in St. Kitts, West Indies. Chelonian Conservation and Biology: December 2016, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 197-
205. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1165.1.
Ives AK, Antaki E, Stewart K., Francis S, Jay-Russell MT, Sithole F, Kearney MT, Griffin, MJ and Soto, E. 2016. Detection of Salmonella enterica Serovar Montevideo and Newport in Free-ranging Sea Turtles and Beach Sand in the Caribbean and Persistence in Sand and Seawater Microcosms. Zoonoses Public Health. doi:10.1111/zph.12324.
Horrocks JA, Stapleton S, Guada H, Lloyd C, Harris E, Fastigi M, Berkel J, Stewart K, Gumbs J, Eckert KL. 2016. International movements of adult female leatherback turtles in the Caribbean: results from tag recovery data (2002−2013). ESR 29:279-287.
Stewart K, Norton T, Mohammed H, Browne D, Clements K, Thomas K, Yaw T, and Horrocks J. 2016. Effects of “Swim with the Turtles” Tourist Attractions on Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Health in Barbados, West Indies. Journal of Wildlife Diseases: April 2016, Vol. 52, No. 2s, pp. S104-S117. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/52.2S.S104.
Watson MK, Stewart K, Norton TM, and Mitchell MA. 2015. Evaluating Environmental and Climatic Influences on Nesting in Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in St. Kitts, West Indies. Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery: December 2015, Vol. 25, No. 3-4, pp. 122-127. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5818/1529-9651-25.3.122.
Hill BA, Stewart K, Rawlins-Vaughan G, Illanes O, Young A, Clements K, Carter J, Norton, T. 2014. Clinical Challenge. J of Zoo Wild Med., 45(1): 200–204.
Dutton CS, Revan F, Wang C, Xu C, Norton TM, Stewart KS, Kaltenboeck B, Soto E. 2013. Salmonella enterica prevalence in leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in St. Kitts, West Indies. J Zoo Wildl Med, 44(3), 765-768.
Stewart K, Mitchell M, Norton T, and Krecek, RC. 2012. Measuring the level of agreement in hematologic and biochemical values between blood sampling sites in leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). J Zoo Wildl Med 43(4):719-725.
Regassa LB, French FE, Stewart KM, Murphy AC, Jandhyam H, and Beati, L. 2011. A Costa Rican bacterial spiroplasma biodiversity survey in tabanid flies reveals new serogroups and extends United States ranges. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation Vol. 3(80, pp. 338-344, August 2011. Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/ijbc. ISSN 2141-243X ©2011 Academic Journals.
Regassa LB, Stewart KM, Murphy AC, French FE, Lin T and Whitcomb, RF. 2004. Differentiation of group VIII Spiroplasma strains with sequences of the 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer region. Canadian J. of Microbiology, 50:12; 1061-1067, December 2004.
