Research Projects

Marine Science (general), Diving Physiology, Sea Turtle Biology, Tissue Oxygenation, and Microscopy.

Research areas include coral reef ecology, coral reef health, water quality, impacts of climate change on natural communities, ecology of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning, ecology of (deep) mesophotic coral reefs, refuges and refugia for coral reefs, and processes of herbivory on coral reefs.

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Dr. Marilyn Brandt's research combines field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling to understand coral reef organism susceptibility and resistance to mortality - causing stressors, with a particular emphasis on the risk factors involved in disease incidence, severity, and spread.
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Dr. Rick Nemeth’s primary area of research is movement ecology. This research uses acoustic telemetry to track the movements of reef fish such as snappers, groupers, parrotfish and triggerfish. Dr. Nemeth's research takes place in locations like the US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Fiji and Micronesia and covers habitats ranging from shallow seagrass beds to deep mesophotic reefs.

Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes is a Research Assistant Professor of Watershed Ecology at the Center for Marine & Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands where she studies the response of nearshore environments and coastal wetlands to climate change and other human stressors, and is actively engaged in community outreach, most recently on the topic of marine debris. 
Links to read about projects that we are involved in:

SEAS Your Tomorrow
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Sea grass and Carbon
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Marine Debris