I currently advise two graduate students in UVI’s Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) program. I also serve as a committee member for a number of other students in the program.

Stefanie Maxin
Stefanie is originally from Texas where she graduated with a degree in Marine and Freshwater Science from the University of Texas in Austin. Her master’s research focuses on utilizing passive acoustic data to learn more about fish ecology. In particular, she is quantifying Nassau grouper vocalizations at a local spawning aggregation to better understand their ongoing recovery in the US Virgin Islands. She is also working to identify passive sounds produced by yellowtail parrotfish during their spawning activities which will be used as a metric to measure differences in spawning behavior under varying environmental conditions.

Darian Braddy
Darian is originally from Savannah, GA, where she received her B.S. in Marine Sciences and a Data Analytics certificate at Savannah State University. Her master’s research focuses on characterizing the faunal communities associated with recent inundations of sargassum in the Caribbean. Using drone technology, oceanographic modelling, and in situ sampling techniques her work will be used to inform best practices for sargassum mitigation strategies in the US Virgin Islands.