In the USVI we can expect more will be revealed about Territory waters thanks to recent advances in the SCUBA diving program within the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands. 

Fourth in the world for publications on mesophotic coral ecosystems, scientists at The University of the Virgin Islands were invited Discussion Leaders at the prestigious Gordon Research Conference Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems. This invitation is a tremendous honor, recognizing these scientists as leaders in their field.

Dr. Tyler Smith, lead Coral Reef Researcher with VI-EPSCoR, and Associate Research Professor of Marine Science with the University of the Virgin Islands has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences committee to study coral reef resilience. This is a tremendous honor of international significance. 

The Grammanik Bank, located just south of St. Thomas, is also the only known spawning location in the region for critically endangered Nassau grouper. The Nassau grouper spawning aggregation at the Grammanik Bank is a very special place. The US Virgin Islands are very fortunate because this is the only location in the entire Caribbean where Nassau grouper have shown signs of recovering