Strengthening the Research and Educational Capabilities of the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station, St. John US Virgin Islands

加强维尔京群岛环境资源站的研究和教育能力，圣约翰美属维尔京群岛

• 批准号: 0331552
• 负责人: Richard Nemeth
• 金额: $ 18.5万
• 依托单位: University of The Virgin Islands
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-04-01 至 2007-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0331552&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Strengthening; Research; Educational; Capabilities; Virgin

Strengthening the research and educational capabilities of the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station, St. John, USVI. (FSML #0331552)AbstractA grant has been awarded to the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) under the direction of Dr. Richard S. Nemeth to upgrade the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) located on St. John, US Virgin Islands. VIERS is located at the center of the Virgin Islands National Park, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the Coral Reef National Monument, making VIERS uniquely situated to provide researchers with reference sites for ecosystem level studies in both marine and terrestrial habitats. Although VIERS has provided 35 years of continuous service as a center for environmental education and research, the outdated laboratory facilities has limited use of this facility for teaching and especially for research to very low levels. Most of the instrumentation in the laboratory is over 20 years old and has been severely degraded due to the corrosive tropical environment. The VIERS lab also has no internet access or computer facilities available for visiting scientists and major equipment, which support field activities, have been damaged by a series of severe hurricanes. Through an extensive planning process, UVI identified the essential needs of current and potential users of VIERS. The primary goal of this project will be to modernize the VIERS facility to stimulate usage by researchers and educational groups from local, national and international institutions. Funding from the National Science Foundation will allow UVI to purchase major research instrumentation, renovate existing buildings and modernize the communication systems. The acquisition of modern laboratory instrumentation and major field equipment will expand research capabilities of VIERS from very basic ecological observations to more sophisticated measurement and experimentation, and will increase research capabilities at both spatial and temporal scales. The proposed renovations will provide for a research laboratory facility with functional and complementary workspaces including a computer lab, analytical lab, dry lab and wet lab with running seawater system. UVI will also modernize the information technology, communications and data management systems which will foster greater collaboration among researchers and strengthen the linkages between research, education and outreach programs. The close proximity of all representative tropical environments around VIERS will provide significant opportunities for researchers to make substantive comparisons among adjacent terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Improving the facilities at VIERS will facilitate teaching and research and, through community interaction with VIERS' outreach activities, will increase public interest and involvement in their natural resources. The broader impacts of modernizing this field biological station will also include a greater level of collaboration and an increase in the exchange of information and ideas between visiting scientists, educators, and students. Finally, increased activities at VIERS will provide more opportunities in education and research for the culturally diverse student body at UVI and K-12 students and teachers in the USVI.

加强美属维尔京群岛圣约翰环境资源站的研究和教育能力。(FSML#0331552)在理查德·S·内梅特博士的指导下，已向维尔京群岛大学授予摘要赠款，用于升级位于美属维尔京群岛圣约翰的维尔京群岛环境资源站。Viers位于维尔京群岛国家公园、联合国教科文组织生物圈保护区和珊瑚礁国家纪念碑的中心，使Viers具有独特的地理位置，为研究人员提供海洋和陆地栖息地生态系统水平研究的参考场所。尽管Viers作为环境教育和研究中心已经连续提供了35年的服务，但过时的实验室设施将这种设施用于教学，特别是用于研究的水平非常低。实验室中的大多数仪器都有20多年的历史，由于热带环境的腐蚀，已经严重退化。Viers实验室也没有互联网接入或计算机设施可供来访的科学家使用，支持野外活动的主要设备已被一系列严重飓风破坏。通过广泛的规划过程，维尔京大学确定了VIERS现有和潜在用户的基本需求。该项目的主要目标将是使Viers设施现代化，以促进当地、国家和国际机构的研究人员和教育团体的使用。来自国家科学基金会的资金将使弗吉尼亚大学能够购买主要的研究仪器，翻新现有的建筑，并使通信系统现代化。购买现代实验室仪器和主要野外设备将把Viers的研究能力从非常基本的生态观测扩展到更复杂的测量和实验，并将增加空间和时间尺度上的研究能力。拟议的翻修将提供一个具有功能性和互补性工作空间的研究实验室设施，包括一个计算机实验室、分析实验室、干实验室和带自来水系统的湿实验室。UVI还将使信息技术、通信和数据管理系统现代化，这将促进研究人员之间的更大合作，并加强研究、教育和外联计划之间的联系。Viers周围所有具有代表性的热带环境都很接近，这将为研究人员提供重大机会，以便对邻近的陆地和海洋生态系统进行实质性比较。改善Viers的设施将促进教学和研究，并通过社区与Viers的外联活动的互动，将增加公众对其自然资源的兴趣和参与。使这个野外生物站现代化的更广泛的影响还将包括更高水平的合作以及来访的科学家、教育工作者和学生之间信息和思想的交流。最后，Viers活动的增加将为弗吉尼亚州不同文化背景的学生群体和美属维尔京群岛的K-12学生和教师提供更多的教育和研究机会。