Paul Jobsis Ph.D.: Director of the Center for Marine & Environmental Studies

Marine Science (general), Diving Physiology, Sea Turtle Biology, Tissue Oxygenation, and Microscopy

Tyler Smith Ph.D.: Associate Research Professor of Marine Science

Research areas include coral reef ecology, coral reef health, water quality, impacts of climate change on natural communities, ecology of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning, ecology of (deep) mesophotic coral reefs, refuges and refugia for coral reefs, and processes of herbivory on coral reefs.

Marilyn Brandt Ph.D.: Research Associate Professor of Marine and Environmental Science 

"Dr. Marilyn Brandt's research combines field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling to understand coral reef organism susceptibility and resistance to mortality - causing stressors, with a particular emphasis on the risk factors involved in disease incidence, severity, and spread."   
Visit our Lab and learn more about our research. 

Richard Nemeth Ph.D.: Research Professor of Zoology/Marine Biology

"Dr. Rick Nemeth’s primary area of research is movement ecology. This research uses acoustic telemetry to track the movements of reef fish such as snappers, groupers, parrotfish and triggerfish. This information is used to calculate home ranges and habitat use and identify appropriate boundaries for marine protected areas around spawning aggregation sites. Other research examines the effectiveness of marine protected areas for rebuilding populations of commercially important species and studying the abundance and distribution of the endangered Nassau grouper and the invasive lionfish.  Dr. Nemeth's research takes place in locations like the US Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Fiji and Micronesia and covers habitats ranging from shallow seagrass beds to deep mesophotic reefs."

Kristin Wilson Grimes Ph.D.: Research Assistant Professor of Watershed Ecology

"Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes is a Research Assistant Professor of Watershed Ecology at the Center for Marine & Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands where she studies the response of nearshore environments and coastal wetlands to climate change and other human stressors, and is actively engaged in community outreach, most recently on the topic of marine debris. She is also the Director for the Virgin Islands Water Resources Research Institute which is a network of 54 institutes across the United States dedicated to water resource issues and education, funded through partnerships between the United States Geological Survey and the states/territories; in this role, she is 1 of 7 women directors, presently."  
Click any of the following links to read about projects that we are involved in.
SEAS Your Tomorrow (Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists) 
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Sea grass and Carbon
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Marine Debris

Sennai Habtes Ph.D.: Research Assistant Professor of Biological Oceanography

"Dr. Habtes is a biological oceanographer who leads the Oceanographic Research Laboratory or “Ocean Lab”. His research focus includes fisheries oceanography and zooplankton ecology, and is focused on using time series data study patterns in marine organisms, and the environmental factors affecting them. The lab is currently focused on several ongoing research projects including the development of a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) for the USVI and Puerto Rico, Larval dispersal modeling to identify spawning areas for Large Bodied Parrotfish in the USVI, and understanding patterns in zooplankton ecology and larval fish recruitment surrounding the USVI." -
Click on any of the links below to learn more about projects our lab is involved with.
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Dr. Habtes' Research 
VI-EPSCoR Blog on Zooplankton Abundance              
Sparks for Change - A Program for promoting diversity in the Geosciences                            

- Contact Us -

Phone: St. Thomas (340) 693-1380                     Fax: (340) 693-1385
E-mail: Paul Jobsis (pjobsis@live.uvi.edu)
Website: http://cmes.uvi.edu
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Center for Marine and Environmental Studies
University of the Virgin Islands
#2 John Brewers Bay
St. Thomas, USVI 00802