Alumni

  • Chris Settar '08 - Chris was the first graduate of the MMES Program. She defended her thesis, entitled 'Coral Reefs and Residents of the US Virgin Islands: A Relationship of Knowledge, Outdoor Activities and Stewardship' in April 2009. Her advisor was Dr. Teresa Turner. Since graduating Chris has been working as the Marine Stewardship Coordinator for the UVI Sea Grant marine Outreach Program. She can be contacted at csettar@uvi.edu.

    • Publication:  Settar, C. and T. Turner. 2010. Coral reefs and residents of the US Virgin Islands: A relationship of knowledge, outdoor activities and stewardship. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (Suppl 3): 197-212          

  • Allan Bright '09 - Allan defended his thesis entitled 'The effect of swell-generated physical damage on disease prevalence and asexual reproduction in the coral Acropora palmata (Lamarck)' in July 2009. His major advisor was Dr. Rick Nemeth. Since graduating Allan has been working as a Research Associate at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center. He can be contacted at Allan.Bright@noaa.gov.

    • Publication: Bright A, C Rogers, M E Brandt, E Muller and T B Smith. 2016. Disease prevalence and snail predation associated with swell-generated damage on the threatened coral, Acropora palmata (Lamarck). Frontiers in Marine Science 3: 77.

  • Ian Lundgren '09 - Ian defended his thesis entitled 'Relation of abiotic conditions to hatch success for relocated Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, nests at Buck Island, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands' in October 2009. His advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. Since graduating he has continued to work as a Biologist for the National Park Service on St. Croix. He can be contacted at Ian_Lundgren@nps.gov.

  • Steven Hitt '10 - Steven defended his thesis entitled 'Quantifying the migration behavior and space use patterns of Haemulon sciurus and Lutjanus apodus across US Virgin Island seascapes' in August 2010. His major advisor was Dr. Rick Nemeth. Steven is now an Environmental Analyst with Kimley-Horn and Associates, a consulting firm in Florida. He can be contacted at steven.hitt@gmail.com.

    • Publication:  Hitt, S., Pittman, S.J., Brown, K.A. 2011. Tracking and mapping of sun-synchronous migrations and diel use patterns of Haemulon sciurus and Lutjanus apodus in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Environ Biol Fish 92:525-538. DOI 10.1007/s10641-011-9875-2
    • Publication:  Hitt S., Pittman S.J., Nemeth R.S. 2011. Diel movements of fish are linked to benthic seascape structure in a Caribbean coral reef ecosystem. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 427: 275–291. doi: 10.3354/meps09139

  • Eddie Parish '10 - Eddie defended his thesis in December 2010. His major advisor was Dr. Teresa Turner. He can be contacted at eddieparish@gmail.com.

  • Christina Colletti '11 - Christina defended her thesis entitled 'The effects of seascape structure on the spatial distribution of juvenile fish within Benner Bay Mangrove Lagoon, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands' in April 2011. Her major advisors were Dr. Simon Pittman and Dr. Rick Nemeth. She can be contacted at christinamcolletti@gmail.com.

  • Bryan Legare '11 - Bryan defended his thesis entitled 'Juvenile Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) and Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris) movements within two nursery areas of St. John, US Virgin Islands (USVI)' in November 2011. His major advisor was Dr. Rick Nemeth. He can be contacted at bryanlegare@hotmail.com.

    • Publication: Legare B, Kneebone J, DeAngelis B, and G Skomal (2015) The spatiotemporal dynamics of habitat use by blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and lemon (Negaprion brevirostris) sharks in nurseries of St. John, United States Virgin Islands. Marine Biology 162: 699-716.

  • Chris Loeffler '11 - Chris defended his thesis entitled 'The interactions of depth, grazing and addition of nutrients on the abundance and distribution of Gambierdiscus spp.' in December 2011. His major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. Chris is continuing to do research on ciguatera poisoning at the FDA in Louisiana. Chris can be contacted at christopheruvi@gmail.com.

    • Publication: Loeffler C, M Richlen, M Brandt, and TB Smith (2015). Effects of grazing, nutrients, and depth on the Ciguatera-causing dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus in the US Virgin Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series 531: 91-104.
  • Steve McCauley '11 - Steve defended his thesis entitled 'Understanding differences in recovering Diadema antillarum densities following mass-mortality in the Caribbean: Testing hypotheses in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands' in April 2011. His major advisor was Dr. Teresa Turner. He can be contacted at stephen.a.mccauley@gmail.com.

  • Gabriel Renchen '11 - Gabby defended her thesis entitled 'Assessing the impact of derelict fish traps in the US Virgin Islands' in April 2011. Her major advisors were Dr. Simon Pittman and Dr. Angela Dikou. She is working as a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She can be contacted at Gabby.Renchen@MyFWC.com.

    • Publication: Renchen G, Pittman S, Clark R, Caldow C, Gall S, Olsen D, and R Hill (2014) Impact of derelict fish traps in Caribbean waters: an experimental approach. Bulletin of Marine Science 90(2): 551-563.
    • Publication: Renchen GF*, Pittman SF and ME Brandt (2012) Investigating the behavioural responses of trapped fish using underwater video surveillance. Journal of Fish Biology 81(15): 1611-1625.  
  • Shruti Arora '12 - Shruti defended her thesis entitled ‘Diversity of bacteria associated with the Montastraea annularis species complex across a seawater quality gradient in the United States Virgin Islands’ in April of 2012. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt.

  • Leslie Henderson '12 - Leslie defended her thesis entitled ‘The relative importance of nutrients and herbivory on benthic community structure: Nearshore vs. offshore reefs’ in April of 2012. Her major advisor was Angela Dikou. She is currently the Coral Reef Initiative Coordinator for the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources. She can be contacted at leslie.henderson@dpnr.vi.gov.

  • Sophia McKenzie '12 - Sophia defended her thesis entitled ‘Influence of biophysical processes on the distribution of coal communities in Hurricane Hole, St. John, United States Virgin Islands’ in November of 2012. Her major advisor was Nasseer Idrisi. She is currently the coordinator for the Master of Marine and Environmental Science Program and can be contacted at sophia.mckenzie@uvi.edu. 

  • Jeff Renchen '12 - Jeff defended his thesis entitled ‘Inter- and intra-population diversity of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L. ) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and northern Jamaica’ in April of 2012. His major advisor was Alice Stanford.

  • Sean Richardson '12 - Sean defended his thesis entitled ‘The effect of the exotic invasive plant Bromelia pinguin on the floristic composition of dry forests in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands’ in April of 2012. His major advisor was Dr. Alice Stanford.  He can be contacted at sjrichardson23@yahoo.com. 

  • LeAnn Conlon '12 - LeAnn defended her thesis entitled ‘Effects of climate change on coral reef benthic-pelagic coupling in a tropical coastal ecosystem: a theoretical study’ in April of 2012. Her major advisors were Nasseer Idrisi and Tyler Smith. She can be contacted at leannconlon@gmail.com.
  • Rob Brewer '13 - Rob defended his thesis entitled ‘Caribbean hybrid Acropora prolifera viability restricted to shallow reef zones’ in February 2013. His major advisor was Tyler Smith. He can be contacted at robert.brewer@cune.org.
  • Elizabeth Clemens '13 - Liz defended her thesis entitled ‘Investigating the transmissibility of the coral disease, white plague’ in April of 2013. Her major advisor was Marilyn Brandt. She can be contacted at eclemens@hawaii.edu.
    • Clemens E and ME Brandt (2015) Multiple mechanisms of transmission of the Caribbean coral disease white plague. Coral Reefs DOI 10.1007/s00338-015-1327-6. 

  • Matthew Cring '13 – Matthew defended his thesis entitled “Population structure of the Greater Bulldog Bat.”

  • Brittney Honisch '13 - Brittney defended her thesis entitled ‘Chronic impacts of land-based sources of pollution on coral health in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ in April of 2013. Her major advisor was Tyler Smith. She can be contacted at brittney.honisch@gmail.com.

  • Matthew Kamman '13 - Matt defended his thesis entitled ‘Macroalgal overgrowth on coral health across the U.S. Virgin Islands’ in May 2013. His major advisor was Tyler Smith.

  • Elena Kobrinski '13 – Elena defended her thesis entitled “A descriptive cross-sectional research study of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands: an introspective look at the local participation in tourism, experiential social learning, and survey participant attitudes about coral reefs and nature.”  She can be contacted at elena.kobrinski@gmail.com. 

  • Lia Ortiz '13 – Lia defended her thesis entitled “The social structure of the USVI fishing community: A basis for reducing fishery ecosystem and resource vulnerabilities, while improving chances for sustainability.”

  • Clayton Pollock '13 - Clayton defended his thesis entitled ‘Abundance and distribution of sea turtles at Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, USVI’ in April 2013. His major advisor was Paul Jobsis.

  • Alexis Sabine '13 - Alexis defended her thesis entitled ‘Impact of environmental factors on recovery of coral lesions in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ in April of 2013. Her major advisor was Marilyn Brandt. She can be contacted at alexiss88@gmail.com.

    • Publication: Sabine A, TB Smith, DE Williams, and ME Brandt (2015). Environmental conditions influence tissue regeneration rates in scleractinian corals. Marine Pollution Bulletin 95: 253-264.
  • Alex Webb '13 – Alex defended his thesis entitled “Community Perspectives on Sustainability in a Social-Ecological Paradigm.”

  • Zach Whitener '13 – Zach defended his thesis entitled “Factors affecting the colonization of coral rubble by motile cryptic invertebrates on fringing reefs of St. Thomas, USVI.”

  • Rosmin Ennis ’14 - Rosmin defended her thesis entitled “Coral reef health responses to chronic and acute changes in water quality gradients in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands” in April 2014. Her major advisor was Tyler Smith. She can be contacted at rennis917@gmail.com. 

    • Publication: Ennis RS, ME Brandt, KR Wilson Grimes, and TB Smith (2016) Coral reef health response to chronic and acute changes in water quality in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Marine Pollution Bulletin 111(1-2): 418-427. 
  • Howard Forbes ’14 – Howard defended his thesis entitled “Using biogeochemistry and phytochemistry to better assess and understand rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) ecosystems in the Virgin Islands” in April 2014. His major advisor was Michael Doyle. He is currently the Coordinator for the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service. He can be contacted at howard.forbes@uvi.edu. 
  • Jon Jossart '14 - Jon defended his thesis entitled "Modeling a yellowfin grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa) spawning aggregation with passive acoustic telemetry on the Grammanik Bank, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands" in November 2014. His major advisor was Richard Nemeth. He can be contacted at jossart1@gmail.com. 

  • Jennifer Kisabeth '14 - Jen defended her thesis entitled "Cruise ship induced sediment resuspension characteristics in Charlotte Amalie Harbor and the West Gregorie Channel, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands" in December 2014. Her major advisor was Tyler Smith. She can be contacted at jkkisabe@g.coastal.edu.

  • Viktor Brandtneris '15 - Viktor defended his thesis entitled "An examination of seasonal variability in energy content among reef habitats" in March 2015. His major advisor was Tyler Smith. He can be reached at vwbrandt@gmail.com. 

    • Publication: Brandtneris VW, ME Brandt, PW Glynn, J Gyory, and TB Smith (2016) Seasonal variability in calorimetric energy content of two Caribbean mesophotic corals. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0151953. 

  • Christopher Biggs '15 - Chris defended his thesis entitled "Multi-scale spatio-temporal dynamics of dog snapper Lutjanis jocu and Cubera snapper Lurtjanus cyanopterus spawning aggregations" in April 2015. His major advisor was Richard Nemeth. He can be contacted at crbiggsy@gmail.com. 

    • Publication: Biggs CR and RS Nemeth (2016) Spatial and temporal movement patterns of two snapper species at a multi-species spawning aggregation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 558: 129-142. 
  • Tyler Grespin '15 - Tyler defended his thesis entitled "Low level of population structure detected by microsatellites in red hind, Epinephelus guttatus, collected from spawning aggregations in the northeastern Lesser Antilles" in April 2015. His major advisor was Sandra Romano. He can be contacted at tgrespin@gmail.com. 

  • Katie Baltzer '15 - Katie defended her thesis entitled "Investigating sub-lethal effects of Caribbean ciguatoxin (C-CTX) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior" in April 2015. Her major advisor was Tyler Smith. She can be reached at kbaltzer@hotmail.com. 

  • Jessica Keller '15 - Jess defended her thesis entitled "Groundwater and sediment analyses of a mangrove swamp near Bovoni landfill, St. Thomas, USVI" in April 2015. Her major advisor was Renata Platenberg. She can be reached at jakeller@g.coastal.edu. 

    • Publication: Keller JA, KW Grimes, AS Reeve and R Platenberg (2017) Mangroves buffer marine protected area from impacts of Bovoni Landfill, St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Wetlands Ecol Manage. DOI: 10.1007/s11273-017-9536-0. 

  • Madeleine Arencibia ­'15 - Madeleine defended her thesis entitled "Estimating the aerobic dive limit of captive South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens)" in October 2015. Her major advisor was Paul Jobsis. She can be reached at madeleine.arencibia@gmail.com.

  • Victoria Beasley '15 - Victoria defended her thesis entitled "White pox prevalence and its relation to the human pathogen, Serratia marcescens, in the US Virgin Islands" in August 2015. Her major advisor was Marilyn Brandt. She can be reached at victoria.beasley@westernalum.org. 

  • Scott Eanes '16 - Scott defended his thesis entitled "Assessing habitat utilization by juvenile and sub-adult hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) along the artificial marine habitat of the Cyril E. King runway" in April 2016. His major advisor was Paul Jobsis. He can be reached at scotteanes@yahoo.com.

  • Kurt Alexander '16 - Kurt defended his thesis entitled "Detecting coral disease pathogens in black band and white plague coral diseases in the U.S. Virgin Islands" in April 2016. His major advisor was Marilyn Brandt. He can be reached at kalexander1988@gmail.com. 

  • Sarah Groves '16 - Sarah defended her thesis entitled "Physical drivers of community structure and growth among mesophotic coral ecosystems surrounding St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands" in April 2016. Her major advisor was Tyler Smith. She can be reached at sarahhgroves@gmail.com. 

  • Ashley Ruffo '16 - Ashley defended her thesis entitled "Foraging activity, movements and use of spawning aggregations by yellowtail parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) in the US Virgin Islands" in April 2016. Her major advisor was Richard Nemeth. She can be reached at amr1613@gmail.com. 

  • Alexandria deJarnett ‘16 - Alexandria defended her thesis entitled ‘Shipwrecks and Blowouts equally inhibit Caribbean seagrass Thalassia testudinum growth’ in November of 2016. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. Alexandria can be contacted at adejarnett3@gmail.com.

  • Elizabeth Brown ‘17- Elizabeth defended her thesis entitled ‘An investigation of white plague disease dynamics in the US Virgin Islands: spatial and laboratory approaches’ in April of 2017. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Elizabeth can be contacted at ebrown05@gmail.com.

  • Jonathan Brown ‘17- Jonathan defended his thesis entitled ‘Assessing the Population Structure and Characterizing Spatiotemporal Distributions of a Red Hind, Epinephelus guttatus, Spawning Aggregation in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands’ in April of 2017. His major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Jonathan can be contacted at jonathan.brown@students.uvi.edu.   

  • Mara Duke ‘17 – Mara defended her thesis entitled ‘Spatial and temporal variations in zooplankton abundance, distribution, and diversity in Brewers, Perseverance, and Flat Cay’ in April of 2017. Her major advisor was Dr. Sennai Habtes. Mara can be contacted at mara.duke21@gmail.com.

  • Damon B. Green ‘17- Damon defended his thesis entitled ‘The Effects of Invasive Seagrass Halophila stipulacea on the Habitat Persistence and Condition of Juvenile Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus’ in April of 2017. His major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Damon can be contacted at costadelmar21@gmail.com.      

  • Sam Mitchell ‘17- Sam defended his thesis entitled ‘The recovery of Seagrass and Chelonia mydas (Green Sea Turtle) after Hurricane Earl in 2010 to Brewer’s Bay, St. Thomas’ in April of 2017. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. Sam can be contacted at sammymitch0503@gmail.com.

  • Lauren Olinger ‘17 – Lauren defended her thesis entitled ‘An evaluation of local and community-scale multispecies competition among corals, sponges, and macroalgae on reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ in December of 2017. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Lauren can be contacted at  lko5561@uncw.edu.

  • Tanya Ramseyer ’17 – Tanya defended her thesis entitled ‘The effect of herbivory and nutrient addition on the dynamics of the macroalgae, Dictyota spp. on Caribbean coral reefs in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands’ in December of 2017. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. Tanya can be contacted at trams005@gmail.com. 

  • Joseph Sellers ‘17- Joe defended his thesis entitled ‘Lethal and sublethal impacts of a parasitic isopod on post-settlement coral reef fishes’ in April of 2017. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Sikkel. Joe can be contacted at joseph.sellers@smail.astate.edu.

    • Publication: Sellers, Joe, Daniel Holstein, Taryn Botha, Paul Sikkel. “Lethal and sublethal impacts of a micropredator on post-settlement Caribbean reef fishes.” Accepted (August, 2018): Oecologica. In addition, this paper has been selected for the “Student Highlighted Paper” distinction.

  • Logan Michelle Williams‘17- Logan defended her thesis entitled ‘The Impacts of Species Diversity on White Plague Coral Disease Transmission in January of 2017. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Logan can be contacted at logan_williams08@yahoo.com.

  • John Cassell’18 – John defended his thesis entitled ‘Seasonal Patterns of Seagrass Species, with Relations to Herbivore Preference in a Small Caribbean Bay’ in April of 2018. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. John can be contacted at casseljs@eckerd.edu.

  • Michele Donihe’18 – Michele defended her thesis entitled ‘Assessing Impacts of the Invasive Seagrass, Halophila stipulacea, on Juvenile Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus) Habitat Preference and Delineation of Diel Movement Patterns in Brewer’s Bay and Perseverance Bay, St. Thomas, USVI’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Michele can be contacted at mmdonihe@yahoo.com.

  • Mareike Duffing Romero’18 – Mareike defended her thesis entitled ‘Spatial-temporal movement patterns of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and Lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris) in the US Virgin Islands’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. She can be contacted at marapp15@gmail.com.

  • Allie Durdall '18 - Allie defended her thesis entitled 'Changes to a critical marine fish nursery habitat in Great Pond, St. Croix, USVI: reassessment after two decades encompassing the interacting stressors of mangrove habitat loss, tilapia invasion, hurricanes, and drought impacts' in November of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Grimes. Allie can be contacted at a.durdall@gmail.com.
  • Katharine Egan '18 - Katharine defended her thesis entitled 'Predicting the distribution of threatened orbicellid corals in shallow and mesophotic reef ecosystems along the Puerto Rican shelf' in November of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. Katharine can be contacted at katharineegan34@gmail.com
  • Kristen Ewan '18 - Kristen defended her thesis entitled 'The use of vertical distribution data in the identification of spawning habitat and dispersal pathways for parrotfish (genera Sparisoma and Scarus) within territorial waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands' in November of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Sennai Habtes. 

  • Kari Gehrke ’18 – Kari defended her thesis entitled ‘Home range and habitat use of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, USVI’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. Kari can be contacted at kkgehrke@hotmail.com.

  • Sarah Heidmann ’18 – Sarah defended her thesis entitled ‘Diel patterns in movements of mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis, within home ranges and on spawning grounds in the US Virgin Islands’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Sarah can be contacted at sarah.heidmann@gmail.com.   

  • Paul Hillbrand ’18 – Paul defended his thesis entitled ‘Reconstructing Male Hawksbill (E. imbricata) Genotypes in the Nesting Population of Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix: An Assessment of Multiple Paternity and the Breeding Sex Ratio’ in April of 2018. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. Paul can be contacted at phillbrand14@gmail.com.

  • Colin Howe’18 - Colin defended his thesis entitled ‘The acclimatization of the Caribbean fused staghorn coral Acropora prolifera to non-natal locations’ in April of 2018. His major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. Colin can be contacted at colin.howe15@gmail.com.

  • Amelie Jensen’18 – Amelie defended her thesis entitled ‘Predictors of and variability in seagrass sediment blue carbon from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes. Amelie can be contacted at amelie.e.jensen@gmail.com.

  • Lora Johansen’18 – Lora defended her thesis entitled ‘Factors Influencing Activity Space of Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. Lora can be contacted at lorakayjohansen@gmail.com.

  • Danielle Lasseigne’18 – Danielle defended her thesis entitled ‘Microplastic abundance influenced by anthropogenic activity in St. Thomas, USVI’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Danielle can be contacted at danielle.lasseigne@hotmail.com.

  • Moriah Sevier ’18– Moriah defended her thesis entitled ‘A spatiotemporal ridge-to-reef evaluation of a Gorgonia ventalina aspergillosis epizootic in St. Thomas USVI’ in May of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Moriah can be contacted at sevier.moriah@gmail.com.

  • Sara Thomas ‘18- Sara defended her thesis entitled ‘Age, Growth, and Reproduction of the Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vetula, from the U.S. Virgin Islands’ in January of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Sara can be contacted at saragayle1234@yahoo.com.

  • Nikita Thompson ’18 – Nikita defended her thesis entitled ‘Evaluating the abundance and size distribution of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois spp.) in the US Virgin Islands’ in April of 2018. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. Nikita can be contacted at nikki16_1097@hotmail.com. 

  • P. Owen Clower '19 - Owen defended his thesis entitled 'An investigation into the temporal and spatial trends of contaminants in Mangrove Lagoon, St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) U.S. Virgin Islands' in May of 2019. His major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes. Owen can be contacted at owenclower@gmail.com
  • Kathryn Cobleigh '19- Kathryn defended her thesis entitled 'Distinct shifts of microbial communities within major reef building Caribbean corals exposed to white plague disease' in November of 2019. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Kathryn can be contacted at kathryncobleigh@gmail.com
  • Alexandra Gutting '19- Alexandra defended her thesis entitled 'Demographic Responses of Shallow, Mid-depth, and Mesophotic Scleractinian Coral Communities to Two Category 5 Hurricanes in the U.S. Virgin Islands' in November of 2019. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. Alexandra can be reached at email.alex.today@gmail.com
  • Akacia Halliday '19 - Akacia defended her thesis entitled 'Environmental correlates of the prevalence of an apicomplexan protozoan in Stegastes adustus damselfish of the U.S. Virgin Islands' in May of 2019. Her major advisor was Dr. Jennilee Robinson. Akacia can be contacted at akacia.halliday@gmail.com
  • Kyle Jerris '19 - Kyle defended his thesis entitled 'The Effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the Invasion of the seagrass Halophila stipulacea on St. Thomas United States Virgin Islands' in November of 2019. His major advisor was Dr. Teresa Turner. Kyle can be reached at kljerris10@gmail.com
  • Jessica Nagel '19 - Jessica defended her thesis entitled 'Using bioacoustics to measure the effects of hurricanes on bats in St. Thomas, U.S. Virign Islands' in may of 2019. Her major advisor was Dr. Renata Platenberg. Jessica can be contacted at nageljessica14@gmail.com
  • Maggie Rios '19 - Maggie defended her thesis entitled 'Movement patterns and habitat use of three species of juvenile sharks within Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands' in May of 2019. Her major advisor was Rick Nemeth. Maggie can be contacted at maggie.rios79@gmail.com
  • D. Elizabeth Smith '19 - Elizabeth defended her thesis entitled 'Ecological and environmental drivers of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) habitat use on invaded coral reefs in the USVI' in May of 2019. Her major advisor was Dr. Bernard Castillo. Elizabeth can be contacted at elizabethsmith194@gmail.com
  • Joseph Townsend '19 - Joseph defended his thesis entitled 'Lesion recovery of two reef-building coral species across shallow to mesophotic depths' in November of 2019. His major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. He can be reached at joetown94@gmail.com
  • Jan-Alexis Barry '20 - Jan-Alexis defended his thesis entitled "Effects of parasitism by the cymothoid isopod Anilocra Chromis on its host the Brown Chromis (Chromis multilineata)" in April of 2020. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Sikkel. He can be reached at jbarry90@yahoo.com
  • Antonio Farchette '20 - Antonio defended his thesis entitled "Growth of the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea interacting with the native Syringodium filiforme in the US Virgin Islands" in November of 2020. His major advisor was Dr. Teresa Turner. He can be reached at afarchette@yahoo.com. 
  • Karli Hollister '20 - Karli defended her thesis entitled "Caribbean corals exhibit species-specific differences in competitive abilities with an emerging aggressive alga, Ramicrusta textilis" in April of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. She can be reached at karlihollister@gmail.com
  • Naomi Huntley '20 - Naomi defended her thesis entitled "The Microbiome of a Transmissible Panzootic Disease: A Purported Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Outbreak in the Caribbean U. S. Virgin Islands" in April of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. She can be reached at nhuntley@umich.edu
  • Jessica Levenson '20 - Jessica defended her thesis entitled "Mixed stock analysis of juvenile hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Brewers Bay and Hawksbill Cove, St. Thomas, USVI" in April of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. She can be reached at jessica.n.levenson@gmail.com
  • Sonora Meiling '20 - Sonora defended her thesis entitled "Testing susceptibility, lesion progression rate, and transmissibility among coral species for stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in the USVI" in April of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. She can be reached at sonora.meiling@gmail.com
  • Jessica Michael '20 - Jessica defended her thesis entitled "Legal harvest of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) affects abundance in nearby protected bays" in November of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. She can be reached at MichaelJA@hollins.edu
  • Amber Packard '20 - Amber defended her thesis entitled "Effects of micropredatory gnathiid isopods on recent post-settlement coral reef" in April 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Sikkel. She can be reached at ajpackard9@gmail.com
  • Kaliegh Schlender '20 - Kaliegh defended her thesis entitled "Beach Morphology and Anthropogenic Impacts on Ghost Crab Populations, St. Thomas, USVI" in November of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes.
  • Zola Roper '20 - Zola defended her thesis entitled "Spatial and temporal trends in marine debris from a territory-wide, citizen science-collected dataset (1988-2016) in the U.S. Virgin Islands" in April of 2020. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes. She can be reached at zola.roper@hotmail.com
  • Manouchehr Afshar '21 - Manouchehr defefended his thesis entitled "Assessing the effect of nesting habitat on hatch and emergence success of hawksbill sea turtles Eretmochelys imbricata on Buck island, St. Croix" in November of 2020. His major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. He can be reached at afsharmax19@gmail.com
  • Dan Mele '21 -  Dan defended his thesis entitled "A Comparison of Propagation Techniques with Acropora palmata Micro-fragments" in April of 2021. His major advisor was Dr. Marilyn Brandt. He can be reached at danmele87@gmail.com
  • Claudia Carrion Banuchi '21 -  Kaya defended her thesis entitled "Ciguatera toxicity patterns in red hind, Epinephelus guttatus, on coral reefs of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands" in October of 2021. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. She can be reached at kayacarrionmusic@gmail.com
  • Bradley Arrington '21 -  Brad defended his thesis entitled "Multi-species interactive effect of macroalgae and sponges on coral larval settlement " in November of 2021. His major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. He can be reached at bradarrington15@gmail.com
  • Madyson Miller '21 -  Madyson defended her thesis entitled "Intraspecific Variation in Palatability of the Invasive Seagrass Halophila stipulacea " in November of 2021. Her major advisor was Dr. Edwin Cruz Rivera. She can be reached at madyson.miller@noaa.gov
  • Kelsey Vaughn '21 -  Kelsey defended her thesis entitled "Assessment of the ability of the invasive species Halophila stipulacea to store sediment carbon in nearshore habitats of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands " in November of 2021. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes. She can be reached at kelsey.m.vaughn@gmail.com
  • Sophia Costa '22 - Sophie defended her thesis entitled "Evaluating the impact of non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea on settlement, survival, and condition factor of juvenile yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus, in St. Thomas, USVI" in April of 2022. Her major advisor was Dr. Richard Nemeth. She can be reached at scosta2012@yahoo.com
  • Stephanie Hibberts '22 - Stephanie unexpectedly passed away while working on her thesis entitled 'Red mangrove recovery in fringing and salt pond habitats of the U.S. Virgin Islands' and the creation of a mangrove restoration potential index in July of 2021. Her major advisor was Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes. She was awarded a posthumous degree in May 2022. Her tragic loss has been deeply felt by the Grimes lab, 2019 cohort, and MMES program. 
  • Makayla Kelso '22 - Makayla defended her thesis entitled "Nesting trends of hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands" in March of 2022. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. She can reached at makayla.kelso@yahoo.com
  • Alexys Long '22 - Alexys defended her thesis entitled "Modern rates of herbivory and low nutrients are unable to reduce coral overgrowth by the crustose red alga Ramicrusta textilis at Flat Cay, US Virgin Islands" in April of 2022. Her major advisor was Dr. Tyler Smith. She can be reached at alexyslong13@gmail.com
  • Kristine Tartaglio '22 - Kristine defended her thesis entitled "Using an alternating sound task to estimate South American sea lion (Otariaflavescens) auditory just noticeable difference in a public marine park" in April of 2022. Her major advisor was Dr. Paul Jobsis. She can be reached at kristinefunk@gmail.com