On the Expedition
Snorkel or dive Caribbean reefs to understand how climate change and other factors are affecting the health of coral reef fishes.
Working on either St. John or St. Thomas, or, on some teams, splitting your time between the two islands, you will spend up to four hours a day diving or snorkeling in the pleasantly warm Caribbean waters. Your underwater tasks may include netting individual fish for parasite analysis, identifying fish shelter sites, and surveying coral and bottom cover at the research sites. Some night snorkeling or diving may be required, as some species are most easily collected in their nighttime shelter holes. For parasite studies, be prepared to handle live fish (gently) and return them to their reefs. In order to dive some deeper sites, diver certification may be required. When you are not in the water, you will help with preparing equipment, removing and counting parasites from fish, or entering data. In your recreational time, you may hike around the islands, visit local attractions, check out restaurants and shops, or relax and enjoy the islands' slow pace and beautiful beaches.
Meals and Accommodations
On St. John, you'll stay at the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) in two-room, screened-in cabins with conventional bathing and toilet facilities. VIERS staff prepare meals, with standard American offerings like cereal, pancakes, sandwiches, chicken and fish dishes.
On St. Thomas, you'll stay in the Island View Guesthouse hotel, near the University of the Virgin Islands. Each room has two double beds, bathrooms with hot water, television, and phone. Breakfasts will usually be eaten at the hotel, lunches on the boat or at the lab, and dinners at other local eateries.
About the Research Area
The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of three islands: St. Thomas, St. John, and St Croix. Work will be conducted off St. Thomas and St. John. St. John is a dry tropical island approx. 8 miles long and 1 mile wide. Two-thirds of the island and its surrounding waters is a national park, thus much of the original fauna and flora is intact. It is an especially interesting island from an ecological standpoint because it consists of a wide variety of terrestrial and marine habitats in a relatively small space. There are tropical moist forests at high elevation, tropical dry forests surrounding them and habitats with wind-exposed scrub and sparse vegetation at low elevation. Thus, in a matter of minutes, volunteers can travel from a lush tropical forest to areas where the majority of the vegetation is cactus and agave. The marine environment is also diverse and easily accessible from shore. Snorkelers can find rocky and coral reefs, seagrass beds, and extensive sand flats from most beaches.