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The Foundation sponsored research in the U.S. Virgin Islands. An extensive mapping of local reefs was conducted using a Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager mounted in the Golden Eye. This effort was led by Dr. Peter Mumby, University of Exeter, UK, and was carried out in coordination with the U.S. National Park Service. Mr. Herbert Ripley from Hyperspectral Data International operated the CASI as it covered an area of over 41,000 hectares, the largest analysis of its kind ever performed in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Using the CASI, the team not only developed baseline data of targeted coral reef systems in the area, but in fact discovered new reefs previously unknown. This valuable information will be made available to the U.S.V.I. National Park Service as they build criteria for selection of Marine Protected Areas. In addition, a group of U.S. researchers collected sediments, plants, and invertebrates in continued efforts to identify natural marine products with antibiotic and anticancer activities. These efforts were led by Professor Fenical.
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