VI-EPSCoR

The Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(1)

VI-EPSCoR supports research in areas of scientific inquiry linked to the Territory's economic development …
- by improving research infrastructure to strengthen competitiveness,
- by increasing student participation in science and technology in order to build a skilled workforce, and
- by building partnerships between government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to create a foundation of research and development for economic growth.

16/09/2026

Turn your sightings into science.

Reporting sightings of whales, dolphins
and other marine mammals helps researchers in the USVI, BVI and Puerto Rico.

S***M WHALES are one of the species present in the Territory year round and are more numerous than most people realize. They spend most of their lives in deep water, so sightings are uncommon. They are also listed as endangered, which makes every confirmed sighting valuable.

The UVI Glider Lab created a free public database called Marine Mammal ID for the Virgin Islands (US and BVI) and Puerto Rico. It runs on Anecdata, an open citizen science platform. Anyone can use it, and anyone can look at the results.

Reports go into a public database that researchers can compare against the acoustic data collected by the gliders. If a glider recorded a s***m whale on a given day and someone logged a sighting nearby, that is a much stronger piece of evidence than either record on its own.

Reporting is easy!
Online: Go to anecdata.org and search for Marine Mammal ID for the Virgin Islands
(US and BVI) and Puerto Rico.

On your phone: Download the Anecdata app then find the project inside the app.

The single most valuable information you can give us is an accurate location and time.

Learn more: https://www.anecdata.org/projects/view/marine-mammal-id-usvi-and-pr and viepscor.org/citizen-science-whale-watch

21/08/2026

Doug Wilson, Director of the UVI Ocean Lab and a VICAR lead has been working in Caribbean waters since 1980.

That's him on the right, putting one of UVI's two ocean gliders over the side off St. Thomas alongside graduate students from UVI's MMES program.

Back then, collecting ocean data in the Caribbean meant a ship, a crew, and a lot of time. Between 1991 and 2001 he collected about a thousand profiles that way. Ten years of work, and for a long time it was the best dataset anyone had for this part of the ocean.

The glider in their hands does that in about three months. No engine, no crew. It sinks by making itself denser, glides to 1,000 meters on its wings, and comes back up, over and over, for weeks.

Five graduate students have come through this lab. The ocean is easier to measure than it used to be, and there are more people here who know how.

11/08/2026

Seven Youth Ocean Explorers (YOE) students recently completed a two-week internship with Thriving Islands, in partnership with Crucian Adventure Divers in Frederiksted. From coral conservation and mangrove restoration to science communication, students gained hands-on experience focused on the West End of St. Croix.

They wrapped up the internship with a shallow wreck dive at Butler Bay and an Open House where they shared their research with family and project partners.

VI-EPSCoR proudly supports YOE students by funding scuba training and certifications that help make experiences like these possible.

22/07/2026

We're looking back at an incredible day this past spring when BCB middle school students rolled up their sleeves and got their hands muddy at Range Cay!

As the grand finale of their Mangroves in the Classroom journey, students joined the University of the Virgin Islands to plant red mangrove seedlings—turning classroom lessons into meaningful, hands-on conservation by helping restore our shoreline one seedling at a time.

These experiences are part of the Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research (VICAR) project. For younger students, VICAR supports and expands hands-on learning programs like Mangroves in the Classroom, helping spark curiosity about our natural environment while building a foundation for future exploration in STEM and environmental science.

Here's to these young environmental stewards who are already making a difference—one mangrove at a time! Learn more about VICAR at www.viepscor.org

15/06/2026

Exciting new ocean data is coming in from the waters south of St. Thomas!

As part of a NOAA in the Caribbean partners gathering, two Biogeochemical Argo floats were deployed offshore near Grammanik Bank, an area known for important reef and fish spawning activity. Unlike gliders, these floats drift with ocean currents, repeatedly diving through the water column, collecting profiles, surfacing to transmit their location and data, and then descending again. They can continue collecting information for four to five years!

The early profiles are already showing measurements such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate and chlorophyll. Over time, these data will help researchers better understand offshore Caribbean conditions, including changes linked to heat events, storms, water quality, and the physical and biological conditions that support reef ecosystems.

This effort also highlights the value of bringing NOAA tools, public ocean data, and local expertise together in the Virgin Islands. The data are publicly available in near-real time, helping support research, forecasting, and decision-making well beyond the initial deployment.

A strong reminder that ocean observing in the Caribbean matters, and that the Virgin Islands has an important role to play in shaping the data, tools, and partnerships needed for our region.

Learn more at viepscor.org.
Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

12/02/2026

Find us this weekend at AgriFest 2026!

Exhibit 1: St. Croix Environmental Association (Plant ID and seedling giveaway)

Exhibit 2: GRROE USVI Mangroves (Mangrove research and restoration)

Exhibit 3: VI Reef Response (Coral research and restoration)

Exhibit 4: VI Center for Autonomous Research (Underwater drone research)

Exhibit 5: Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (VI/PR fisheries education)

Exhibit 6: Face Painting and Community Mural (Face painting and paint by number coral reef mural)

Exhibit 7: VI Marine Advisory Service (Water quality education, marine debris)

Exhibit 8: Wildlife Walk (Wildlife exhibits, sensory games)

Exhibit 9: Kid's Corner (Arts & crafts, activity books for kids of all ages)

Exhibit 10: Process Technology (Introduction to Virtual Reality)

Exhibit 11: Virtual Reality Adventure (Explore land and sea with VR)

28/01/2026

Come visit VI-EPSCoR at the 2026 St. Croix AGRIFEST! Join us and partners like the St. Croix Environmental Association, UVI Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (and many more!) as we show you the VI's natural resources and local research like never before! Prepare to meet environmental scientists, discover VI flora and fauna, explore the world through Virtual Reality and find out how you can become an environmental steward. There will also be face painting, scavenger hunts, immersive science demonstrations, and activities for all ages.

You can find us each day of the fair (February 14th-16th from 10am-4:30pm) next to the St. Croix Children's Museum.

Excited to see you there!

The Virgin Islands Children's Museum UVI Center for Marine and Environmental Studies St. Croix Environmental Association

10/12/2025

Big things are happening!

The Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research (VICAR) is assembling a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles, coding 3D mapping tools, and engineering AI-powered analysis to survey our reefs with more detail, accuracy, and speed than ever before.

“It’s gratifying to know that the NSF values our vision and are helping us bring it to life. This award will be transformative for the territory. With this support we can build innovative tools to better protect and understand our ecosystems, while broadening participation in technology and geosciences. It’s a win for us all.” - Dr. Lauren Olinger, Co Lead

05/12/2025

UVI cmes has been awarded funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation to launch the Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research (VICAR) — a groundbreaking hub where robotics, AI, and marine science come together.

Over the next few years, VICAR WILL be building innovative tools to study coral reefs, mangroves, and our open ocean like never before. This is a transformative moment for marine research in the USVI.

“VICAR is a unique opportunity for advancement of science and commerce in the US Virgin Islands. It is a perfect time to leverage emerging technologies to speed the scale and pace of marine research and answer some of our most pressing questions, while providing educational and training opportunities that will create a modern, island-strong workforce.” - Dr. Tyler Smith, Project Lead

19/09/2025

Join us as we celebrate Dr. Richard “Rick” Nemeth, whose vision and dedication shaped marine science in the Virgin Islands. Rick was the driving force behind establishing the USVI as an U.S. National Science Foundation EPSCoR jurisdiction in 2004 — a turning point that allowed UVI’s Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES) to grow from a small team into the world-class research institution it is today.

He built CMES from the ground up, trained and mentored dozens of students, and advanced our understanding of Caribbean fish ecology and fisheries management. True to Rick’s style, he rarely highlighted his own role, but those of us who worked alongside him know: we wouldn’t be here without him. Rick’s impact will be felt for generations.

Read more about his legacy in our Fall 2025 newsletter link in bio.

And read about his Nassau grouper research here: 👉 https://www.viepscor.org/news/usvi-nassau-grouper-recovery-and-treachery.

Address

2 John Brewer's Bay
Saint Thomas
00802

Website

http://viepscor.org/

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