USVI Mesophotic Lionfish
The spread of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) to mesophotic reefs is potentially exacerbating their negative impacts in the Caribbean. We combined acoustic telemetry data with USVI territory-wide monitoring of fish communities to demonstrate that lionfish are more abundant on mesophotic reefs compared to shallower areas, they are resident in these deeper areas, and their activity patterns can deviate from the crepuscular characterization of their shallow-water counterparts.

• Blincow et al. (2025) - Characterizing changes in density, space use, and diel behavior of lionfish (Pterois volitans) on mesophotic coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands. (in press)

Biofouling Monitoring
Biofouling communities can serve as sentinels for the introduction of invasive species as they are often the first habitats to be invaded. As the principal investigator for the Smithsonian’s MarineGEO network USVI station, I have begun monitoring biofouling communities on docks on St. Thomas. In 2025, this effort served as the basis of UVI’s Master’s of Marine and Environmental Science first year capstone project. The cohort of students from that year are currently working on preparing their findings for publication.

Other Collaborations
I participated in a large-scale collaborative effort to conduct an invasive species horizon scan of Puerto Rico and the USVI as part of the National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework. My role was to evaluate marine fish and invertebrate species based on their life history characteristics and potential vectors of introduction to determine their risk of invasion in the region.