70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and, as the US Virgin Islands are mere specks in the northeastern Caribbean, we are directly impacted by its influence. Oceanography is the study of the Earth’s oceans and is central to understanding the mysteries of its vast yet largely uncharted depths. Learn more about the important Oceanographic research taking place in the VI EPSCoR Ridge to Reef Project.

In her second year of study for her Masters of Marine & Environmental Studies degree at the University of the Virgin Islands, Zola Roper’s thesis focuses on marine debris in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a pervasive and important local environmental issue. How did she get here?

Fishermen, scientists, cruise ship captains, surfers, and others rely on oceanographic buoy data for navigation, research, real-time wave currents and more. On April 16, 2018, on University of Miami’s research vessel Walton Smith, a team from UVI, recovered the St. Thomas buoy after it stopped working during Hurricane Irma.

One of VI-EPSCoR’s primary goals is to grow a USVI community that is scientifically and mathematically literate and engaged in issues that are scientific and environmental in nature. Our goal is realized when local scientists are able to stay in the USVI and work in their field because the employment opportunities exist.

Dr. Sennai Habtes, Research Assistant Professor of Biological Oceanography at The University of the Virgin Islands is an accidental role model and success story of VI-EPSCoR’s efforts.