The Tribune

The Bahamas Academy of Sciences (BAS) has unveiled its first peer-reviewed publication, For the Record, which analyses 12,113 records on local science accumulated over the 50 years to 2025.

TITLED ‘The state of Bahamian Science (Edition One) - or Fifty years of research in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas’, the study is a quantitative thematic analysis of five decades of Bahamian research. Unveiled during the Academy’s annual reception at the Balmoral Club last Friday, it will be published in the international journal, Gulf and Caribbean Research.

The analysis identified 10 thematic trajectories and 8 meta-themes across five decades of research. Marine and coastal science is by far the most-studied area, while Bahamian health, education and the Family Islands remain substantially under-represented. The record reflects a strong international and collaborative history, with the top contributing countries being the US, The Bahamas, Spain, England and Canada.

The publication also reveals significant research gaps in national priorities such as groundwater, food systems, renewable energy, social-ecological governance and locally led long-term monitoring. Conducted by eight Academy members, the study concludes that a more co-ordinated research agenda is needed which is aligned with climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, public health, sustainable resource management and national development.

“This is the first paper we are publishing as BAS,” said Dr Krista Sherman, president of the Academy. “To move forward, you need to know what’s happened and where you’re going, so you’re not flying blind.

“It’s important to reflect on what The Bahamas has accomplished in research over the last 50 years - the successes, the challenges, and where we go from here. The pressing challenges facing our nation - from public health, reliable clean energy and economic development to climate change, biodiversity loss, overfishing and habitat degradation - all require evidence-based solutions. That is what ‘The State of Bahamian Science’ is for, and what the Academy is for.

“For decades, The Bahamas has served as a natural laboratory, advancing global understanding of oceans, reefs and carbonate systems. Moving forward, research should continue contributing globally, while aligning more closely with national priorities and creating lasting value for Bahamian communities” said Dr Amina Moss, first author of the study and a lecturer at the University of Stirling, who presented the publication. “Edition one is an honest first look. The next editions get sharper.”

Michael Braynen, the keynote speaker, reaffirmed the importance of evidence-based decision-making, effective resource management and meaningful collaboration, and highlighted the vital role Bahamians play in shaping the future of science in the country.

“True national progress is measured by security, by sustainability and sovereignty. Let us, as a government, as a private sector and as a society, fund our own research to champion our own institutions and to trust our own experts. Our islands have given us life. Let our science give them future,” he said.

Zane Lightbourne, minister of the environment and natural resources, hailed the role of science as an “indispensable tool for effective governance, environmental stewardship and sustainable national development”. He added: “Combining the Academy's expertise with the ministry's public outreach, we can build greater public confidence and encourage informed participation in decisions that affect our nation's future.”

The evening also launched 242 #ForTheRecord, a four-month public campaign running through the end-October 2026 that brings Bahamian science directly to local audiences on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and YouTube. Built around the same 50-year dataset and surfaced one story at a time, the campaign carries a strong science-literacy focus.