91制片厂

鲍狈贬鈥檚 (COLSA) is excited to announce a teaching and research partnership with the (HLSCC)鈥檚 Centre for Applied Marine Studies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The partnership will support a research exchange in the areas of coastal habitat restoration, coastal resilience and climate change as well as student activities at both the graduate and undergraduate levels on both the 91制片厂 and HLSCC campuses.

, research associate professor in the department of biological sciences, spearheaded the effort.

The agreement emerged following Moore鈥檚 technical support of the BVI鈥檚 efforts to assess post-hurricane mangrove recovery following the devastation caused by back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria in late 2017. Many partners were involved in the effort, including the HLSCC, the BVI鈥檚 Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI), the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Birds Caribbean听and the Darwin Plus Initiative.

鈥淲hat has organically evolved is a growing relationship with opportunities for mutual benefit between our institutions,鈥� says Moore. 鈥淗LSCC has an outstanding marine research laboratory situated directly on the water at Paraquita Bay, Tortola, and the college works to build relationships that benefit their students and the Caribbean. Together, we see opportunities to enhance access, address local, regional听and internationally significant research questions, and strengthen local capacity.鈥�

As part of the agreement, Moore plans to develop a coastal climate resiliency course in which students from both institutions will engage all semester through an online synchronous course, culminating in an institutional exchange of students and faculty.

鈥�91制片厂 has a strong history of meaningful partnerships, and this is an exciting new pathway to help craft unique learning experiences for students, from both the U.S. and BVI, at the undergraduate and graduate levels while expanding our commitment to helping managers make science based decisions to better steward our natural systems,鈥� says COLSA Dean Anthony S. Davis.

Two HLSCC alumni from the BVI, Creightanya Brewley and Nia Jeffers, will be joining 鲍狈贬鈥檚 marine biology master鈥檚 program in fall 2021. Brewley currently works with the BVI National Trust NPTVI and Jeffers manages the mangrove nursery for HLSCC.

鈥淚f there is an upside to COVID, it鈥檚 that it demanded us to innovate our teaching approaches and has truly opened up pathways for broadening the reach (and accessibility) of education,鈥� says Moore. 鈥淎 meaningfully shared course between our institutions is absolutely possible and we are eager to deliver.鈥�

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