When Hurricane Irma struck St. Thomas in September, 2017, eleven hawksbill sea turtles, fitted with acoustic transmitters as part of a long-term research project, were living within Brewers Bay on St. Thomas’ west end. What came next was simply amazing!

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. 

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?

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.