Retired Kodak worker discovers new tardigrade species in New York moss

Judy Dobles, a former Kodak finance staffer and longtime volunteer citizen scientist, collected a piece of moss from a log at the Cumming Nature Center in Naples, New York. Under a microscope she observed a tardigrade that did not match known forms. Seeking expertise, she contacted Piotr Gasiorek of Jagellonian University, who specializes in tardigrade biodiversity, and together they spent about a year confirming the organism as a new species.

The new species was named Mesocrista ojagwaji, a designation created with the assistance of Jamie Jacobs from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Turtle Clan, reflecting Indigenous language. This addition brings the count of tardigrade species recorded in New York from 12 to 27. Dobles emphasized how much microscopic life remains undocumented, while the center’s director noted that meaningful scientific discoveries can arise outside large laboratories. Tardigrades are renowned for surviving extreme conditions, making each new species valuable for understanding resilience in the animal kingdom.