In the USVI we can expect more will be revealed about Territory waters thanks to recent advances in the SCUBA diving program within the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands. 

“We are really concerned about sea grasses declining  all over the globe, actually disappearing,” says Edwin Cruz-Rivera, associate professor of biology at the University of the Virgin Islands and recipient of a NSF Track 4 grant.

The Youth Ocean Explorers program provides a broad overview of a variety of marine career opportunities including oceanography, watershed resource management, marine biology, larval ecology, fisheries science, robotics science, and DNA engineering. It's primary goal is to encourage more local young people to gain interest in and pursue STEM careers.

Dr. Tyler Smith, lead Coral Reef Researcher with VI-EPSCoR, and Associate Research Professor of Marine Science with the University of the Virgin Islands has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences committee to study coral reef resilience. This is a tremendous honor of international significance.