The University of the Virgin Islands reinforced its growing presence in global marine science this summer, with 23 researchers and students from its Center for Marine and Environmental Studies delivering 26 presentations at the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium in Auckland, New Zealand.
Held July 19-24, the symposium is the flagship international gathering of the International Coral Reef Society and brings together scientists and marine-resource professionals working on some of the most pressing issues affecting coral ecosystems. This year’s event drew more than 2,100 scientists from 90 countries, according to UVI.
Despite being one of the smallest institutions represented by enrollment, UVI ranked among the top 10 universities in the number of presentations delivered, placing it alongside research institutions more than 10 times its size. The university said the research presented by its delegation also reflected a much broader network, with UVI-led work involving 86 collaborators from 43 institutions. Current and former UVI researchers were listed as authors on 64 presentations overall.
“Our researchers and students brought the story of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ coral reefs to the world,” said Dr. Tyler Smith, interim director of the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, who traveled with the delegation. “It was a privilege to accompany this talented group as they showcased the important work being conducted across the territory. Seeing UVI’s impact on coral reef science at the global level was awe-inspiring and reflects the success of sustained efforts to expand scientific research, education and capacity in the Virgin Islands.”
The research presented by UVI scientists addressed some of the most serious pressures confronting coral and coastal ecosystems in the territory. Topics included the unprecedented marine heat waves and mass coral bleaching events of 2023 and 2024, treatment of stony coral tissue loss disease and efforts to understand its causes and spread, mesophotic reefs, coral restoration and gene banking, and mangrove recovery following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Researchers also presented work examining community stewardship amid coastal change and the use of artificial intelligence and robotics to improve marine research and education — areas in which UVI has been expanding its capabilities.
That expansion received a major boost last year when the National Science Foundation awarded UVI $7 million over five years to establish the Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research, or VICAR. The initiative uses underwater robotics, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional imaging and other autonomous technologies to improve monitoring of reefs, mangroves and open-ocean ecosystems while developing a locally trained science and technology workforce.
VICAR funded travel to the New Zealand symposium for 13 UVI researchers and students, while the Lana Vento Charitable Trust provided additional support. UVI said the delegation’s travel was funded entirely through competitively awarded research grants and charitable contributions.
The university’s Master of Marine and Environmental Science program was also heavily represented. Nineteen of the 23 members of the delegation have ties to the MMES program, including six current graduate students and 13 alumni who now work as CMES specialists, technicians or faculty members. UVI said the program has graduated 155 students since 2008.
The graduate program trains students in marine and environmental research as well as the application of that science to natural-resource management, with particular emphasis on issues affecting the Caribbean. UVI describes the program as a bridge between academic research and natural-resource management in the Virgin Islands, the broader Caribbean and beyond.
UVI’s footprint at the symposium extended beyond the official delegation. Nine former university researchers delivered another 11 presentations, including seven MMES graduates. Those alumni now work or pursue advanced degrees at institutions including Pennsylvania State University, the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Arizona State University and Florida Atlantic University, as well as NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
For UVI, the showing in New Zealand was not only a measure of research output but also evidence that the university’s investment in marine-science training is producing researchers who continue into academic, government and environmental-management careers.
The Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, established in 1999, leads research and education involving coral reefs, fisheries, coastal ecosystems, climate impacts and marine-resource management while administering the MMES program. Its work combines long-term environmental monitoring, student training and partnerships with local, national and international institutions.
With coral reefs throughout the Caribbean confronting increasingly intense heat stress, disease and other environmental pressures, UVI says the research presented internationally has direct implications at home — strengthening understanding of the territory’s ecosystems while developing the scientists who will help manage and restore them.
