Tuesday, December 01, 2009

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, in partnership with three other universities and several government entities, has received a grant of $1.25 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior. The funds will support the proposed $54 million Salt River Bay Marine Research and Education Center (MREC) on St. Croix in the U. S. Virgin Islands. The MREC, which will be located at the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, will support coral reef exploration, research and conservation, K-12 education and residential learning experiences for college students.

UNC Wilmington has been a leading partner in moving this initiative forward, and has more than 22 faculty members already engaged in significant research in the Caribbean through its Center for Marine Science. The MREC also will support related marine research, such as the study of sea turtles, coral reef sponges and coral reef fishes.

“This grant is another major step in our long march to establish a marine research and educational facility and program on St. Croix,” said Bob Wicklund, UNCW’s director of federal programs. “UNCW has been in the forefront of this project for 10 years, and it is personally rewarding to see our efforts showing real progress.”

The MREC is a partnership among the Joint Institute for Caribbean Marine Sciences (JICMS), the National Park Service (NPS), the Office of Insular Affairs, the Government of the Virgin Islands and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Partner universities in the JICMS are UNCW, the University of the Virgin Islands, Rutgers and the University of South Carolina. Combined with earlier grants, the Office of Insular Affairs has contributed more than $2 million toward this initiative.

“St. Croix is the best place in the world to locate a coral reef research station,” said Robert Roer, dean of the graduate school at UNCW. “There is a long history of coral reef research on St. Croix, with data going back to the late 1960s and early 70s. This gives researchers a unique opportunity to study comparison data of the same reefs over a number of years to see how they are being impacted by environmental change and external influences such as commercial fishing.”

The MREC will provide educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, with classrooms, dormitory space and a cafeteria in addition to research facilities. It will be able to house 30 students at any one time. It will also support marine education programs for local K-12 students, public environmental and outreach programs and training for federal employees.

The $1.25 million grant, awarded last week during a ceremony on St. Croix, will be used primarily to develop design concepts for the MREC facility, which will assist in fundraising efforts for its construction. Next steps are to develop a partnership agreement for the project and a fundraising plan.

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu