The University of the Virgin Islands announces the students and faculty winners of the 7th annual Research Day held in Spring 2018.
Of the 32 undergraduate student entries on the St. Thomas Campus, Shantae Lewis from the College of Science and Mathematics emerged as the winner on the St. Thomas Campus.
Lewis’ poster was titled “DNA Extraction of Halophila stipulacea Plants for Genetic Variability Around the Virgin Islands.” Halophila stipulacea is an invasive species of seagrass that is quickly spreading throughout the territory’s waters. It originates from the western Indian Ocean and is thought to have spread into the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas in ship ballasts and by fragmentation caused by anchoring and other bottom disturbances. In her abstract, Lewis mentioned that the goal of the project is to determine the genetic variability of Halophila stipulacea and to use that information to help create an invasion history model. She conducted her research using samples from Magens Bay, John Brewers Bay, and Lindbergh Bay on St. Thomas. UVI Professor, Dr. Alice Stanford advised Lewis during her research.
On the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, there were nine entries, Tione Grant from the College of Science and Mathematics walked away as this year’s undergraduate winner.
More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI website – http://www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.