This is an exciting time for the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES) at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) as seventeen students will receive a Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) degree on Thursday, May 17, 2018. (Cover photo: Colin Howe)

Since Hurricanes Irma and Maria swept through the Caribbean in September 2017, marine researchers at the University of the Virgin Islands noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of green sea turtles in Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, and, a possible decrease in hawksbill sea turtles as well.  Both of these species are protected as their populations have been greatly impacted by over-harvesting of eggs and adults over the past centuries. What does this mean for local populations of these fascinating creatures?