Led chiefly by the Nemeth and Jobsis Labs, UVI has a team of researchers using acoustic telemetry to study the movement behavior of a number of marine species in the USVI territory.

Brewers Bay Fine-Scale Positioning Array
Brewers Bay on St. Thomas is home to one of the largest fine-scale positioning acoustic receiver arrays. Encompassing 70 receivers, this array is being used to track acoustically tagged juvenile hawksbill and green sea turtles, as well as giant hermit crabs and southern stingrays. Our goal is to use this information to determine how the movement behaviors of these animals are influenced by intra-specific interactions, anthropogenic disturbance, and environmental variables.

Reef Bay Acoustic Receiver Array
Dr. Richard Nemeth has been using an acoustic receiver array in Reef Bay on St. John to track the movements of yellowtail parrotfish. This species forms daily spawning aggregations, providing an avenue to explore how environmental disturbances influence the reproductive behavior of a critical reef grazer.