Like many others in the Caribbean, the USVI has been strongly impacted by the relatively recent influx of pelagic sargassum in the region. Inundantions of sargassum along USVI shorelines have had negative environmental, ecological, and economic impacts. I am a part of a collaborative effort in the territory to better understand these inundations to inform potential management and mitigation strategies.

Characterizing Sargassum Faunal Communities
I am chiefly involved in sampling and identifying faunal communities that make use of pelagic sargassum across a gradient from shore. Our goal is to inform management agencies where in-water mitigation strategies will likely have the lowest impact on ecologically and commercially important fauna that use the pelagic sargassum as habitat.