Participants from CMES are contributing to the large scale operations of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program in the territory. 

Great Salt Pond Bay on St. Croix’s south-east coast is a salt pond located within the St. Croix East End Marine Park, and one of just a few mangrove ecosystems on the island. Alarmingly, it supports the only remaining juvenile fish mangrove habitat on the south side of the island! While all mangrove nurseries are essential, St. Croix’s remote location makes this one particularly important.

UVI graduate Mara Duke is studying plankton in Brewers Bay. The purpose of her study is to gain unique insight into how environmental conditions impact all levels of the ecosystem within a small coastal bay with highly diverse habitat types.