Use of Restoration Genomics in Recovering ESA Species: Orbicella faveolata
The goals of this project are to provide information as to whether 1) the depth of nursery stock genotypes and their subsequent outplanting location affects their performance (growth, survivorship, photophysiology); 2) compare survivorship pre-and post-hu...
Reducing LBSP threats in USVI's St Croix East End Marine Park
The St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) is over 60 square miles and contains a variety of important habitat types including linear and patch coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves. St. Croix reefs are dominated by elkhorn and staghorn corals, and ...
Assessment of contaminants and bioeffects in the East End Marine Park
The project will involve the collection and subsequent analysis of sediments for toxicity (two bioassays) and an assessment of the benthic infaunal community (sieving of samples and identification of organisms living in the sediments). In addition, enough...
Assessment of MPA boundaries and fish movements in the East End Marine Park, USVI
Acoustic telemetry will be used to track the movements of various reef fish species in the East End Marine Park (EEMP) in St. Croix, USVI. In addition, visual surveys will be used to compare to the extent practical, differences in fish communities relativ...
Rapid assessment and repairs to Green Cay Gut restoration project
In September 2017, two Category 4/5 hurricanes made landfall in the USVI (i.e., Irma, Maria). Imagery and photos from our partners on the ground indicate that the majority of the Green Cay Gut project remains intact (see photos); however there are a few l...
MPA Boundary efficacy and biotic movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is a territorial/federal MPA that is comprised of over 1000 acres of coral reef, mangrove, estuarine and terrestrial habitats. Managers at DPNR and NPS are uncertain whether the small area of...
Investigating Reproductive Failure in Populations of ESA Coral: Acropora palmata
Reproductive failure in Caribbean corals has been identified as a critical factor contributing to the threatened status of the Acropora spp. and 5 new species and preventing their recovery and delisting from ESA. This proposal is based on findings that as...
Assessing performance and connectivity of St. Croix MPAs
The queen conch, Strombus gigas, is a highly valued marine resource throughout the Caribbean, but habitat degradation and overfishing have caused steep reductions in population numbers. Wild populations of conch have been slow to recover in spite of drast...
Impacts of fishing on parrotfish grazing in St. Croix -A case study on the ecological impacts of fishery management actions
On many coral reefs, including those in the US Caribbean, parrotfishes are both important fishery species that support local economies and key grazers that facilitate the settlement, growth, and survivorship of reef-building corals. Recent fisheries regul...
Bleaching VI