Dr. Castillo was awarded $38,053 to assist with the recovery of his lionfish research project.  This project examines factors affecting the movement and colonization of areas by the invasive lionfish species in St. Croix, USVI.  The impact from Hurricane Irma resulted in lost equipment and necessitated new data collection due to major disruptions within the study areas.

The Grammanik Bank, located just south of St. Thomas, is also the only known spawning location in the region for critically endangered Nassau grouper. The Nassau grouper spawning aggregation at the Grammanik Bank is a very special place. The US Virgin Islands are very fortunate because this is the only location in the entire Caribbean where Nassau grouper have shown signs of recovering

VI-EPSCoR is entering its fourth year of the 5-year NSF Mare Nostrum Caribbean grant. Kim Waddell, Ph.D., as incoming Director, will guide the program through to the end and ideally, onto another EPSCoR grant shortly thereafter. 

One woman's research into the macroalgae Dictyota spp. may help save coral reefs in the Territory.