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My STEM Ambassador project is taking place in the Corredor Ecológico del Noreste (CEN) Reserve in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, a protected coastal ecosystem co-managed by the community-based organization Coalición para la Protección del CEN and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA). The Coalition, established in 2005, plays a key role in conservation, education, and community engagement. I have collaborated with this group in the past and continue to work with them through my postdoctoral research within the Reserve. This ongoing relationship has allowed me to observe their essential work in protecting the area and educating visitors. The Reserve receives both local and international tourists, yet it lacks interpretive guides or materials that help visitors understand and appreciate what they are experiencing.

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) are widely known for its expansive and beautiful beaches and colorful marine life. However, while the island’s draw is the marine environment and largely depends on this influx of tourism to stay afloat, many USVI locals cannot swim and are not water safe. No discrete statistic is available on the locals’ swimming ability, but Howard Forbes, the director of the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service, estimates an upwards of 70% of locals do not identify as being water safe. This is likely attributed to cultural, economic, and infrastructure barriers, something that the University of the Virgin Islands is hoping to change.