Some of my earliest memories are tied to the ocean. From snorkeling with my family, to watching turtles graze on seagrass in St. Thomas. Those experiences shaped my love of the sea, which followed me to college, where I pursued a degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and conducted my senior thesis research on the behavior of invasive lionfish in the Caribbean. This summer, I had the chance to bring that research home to Nana Baby Children’s Home.
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.
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