Marine Ecological Work

Marine Environmental Protection & Construction In the British Virgin Islands (BVI)

1994 - 2016 Founder/Owner Underwater Boat Services Ltd

1995 – 2014 Repair & maintain BVI Electricity’s’ main power plants intake pipes sieve. Yearly removal of sediment from pump house containment reservoirs. Design and implement quantifiable control assessments to prevent system disruption.

1997 Contracted by Caribbean Basin Enterprises and Aqua Design. Conducted UW Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, for low impact line suitable for waste water treatment outflow pipe. Created a lift and delivery barge for installation of the pipelines retaining blocks. Installed 185 meters of 10 inch diameter tertiary sewerage treatment outflow water pipe with 55 cement blocks. One year of cursory monthly reef assessments at discharge area.

1997 – 1998 Contracted by Delta Petroleum. Connect & release discharge pipe for tanker delivering diesel fuel. Blow out line and control and collect any ocean releases.

1999 - 2016 Co - Owner UBS Dive Center

2001 – 2004 Contracted by BVI Government. Diving controller and advisor for the 1500 foot airport runway extension project. Worked in conjunction with Phiilup Holzman, Bolskalis, Trinidad Contractors and Shanty Maritime. UW removal of junked airplanes and trucks. Installed 1200 feet of Geo Textile underwater on the interior walls of the reclaimed area. Installation, maintenance and disassembly of the 300 meter long 600 mm diameter steel sinker pipe for dredge vessel discharge. Accomplished a 140,000 pound UW lift of the sinker pipe for repairs during installation. Installed and removed dozens of sand screws to prevent sea grass damage from pipe during and after repairs. Installed & maintained water discharge sieve during land fill. Marine impact advisor and conducted cursory sea grass and reef surveys during and after the project.

2002 Contracted by Applied Technology Management. Assisted in Environmental Impact Assessment for proposed twin marinas, hotel and 18 hole golf course on Beef Island. Adapted a UBS dive boat to facilitate hundreds of detailed bathymetric surveys for Hans Creek, Trellis Bay, Conch Shell Point and Beef Island Bluff to create colored depth isobaths. Survey assisted in assuring the Beef Island Bluff and Hans Creek areas maintain “Marine Protected Area” (MPA) status. This was vital in halting and eventually preventing the project.

2003 Contracted by Virgin Islands Project Management. Worked in conjunction with BVI Conservations & Fisheries Department. Diving supervisor for 8 diver rotation team at Scrub Island for environmental protection project. Removed 650 mid – moderate (6” – 20”) size corals and lifted dozens more larger corals and removed 850 (10” diameter) Sea grass plugs from areas prior to marina development for MainSail Resorts. Advised on similar depth, water movement and phylum for coral reef receiving sites. Using multiple techniques we successfully reattached corals at four separate receiving sites. Replanted Sea grasses at two separate sites. Four phases of project 1) Safe removal and store. 2) Transport in under 12 minutes to receiving site and store [I designed a shading and sea water showering devise on board flat barge for corals during transport] 3) Preparing particular surfaces 4) Prepare cement with Sigament and secure. Mortality rate of corals during the process was about 10 - 15%. Post-systematic reef evaluations showed further 10 - 15% mortality. Sea grass beds sustained upwards of 45% mortality due to poor receiving site choices from improper evaluation of data.

2003 – 2005 Two year contract with MainSail Resorts. Collaborated with the BVI Conservation & Fisheries Department (CFD) in designing the protocol for monitoring the reefs at Scrub Island during development. Set up five underwater monitoring stations. Each station had five transect lines of 10 meters. Using leaded line at each transect, with recording marks at each half meter, conducted monthly assessments and documented consistently by myself and two others. Monitoring was specific with underwater photographs and observation to Invertebrates, Porifera, Herbivores, and Commercial fish. Visibility and sedimentation was also recorded. Monthly findings led to numerous work stoppages. Advised construction contractors in operational adjustments during onshore and dock developments to prevent negative marine influence.

2006 – 2014 Co - Founder Tortola Kayak Snorkel & Eco Tours.

(A subsidiary of UBS)

Contracts with Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Silver Seas and Regents Seven Seas Cruises. Shore side Agent: Romney & Associates. Used two person kayaks and snorkeling equipment for a three hour tour of 20 persons from dive center in Fat Hogs Bay. This was an ecosystem education tour into the red, Black & White Mangroves forest. In water swims from Mangroves onto Turtle & Eel grasses and coral reefs including fish identification. Curriculum focused on historical evidence of mans impact to the balances of nature and future preventative methods and their importance. With averaging 600 clients a year the tours gained enough notoriety to influence restrictions on the areas proposed land reclamation efforts.

2007 – 2016 Co - Founder of Non-Profit Reef Guardians BVI

Organization created to protect the marine environment of the British Virgin Islands. Main focus was on preventing and curtailing the invasive Lion Fish. Designed a new viable system using government, local charter boat & dive companies, tourists, volunteers, local businesses, Schools, clubs, fisherman and social media. In conjunction with the CORE foundation we printed public service material for fish identification, first aid, sighting report phone numbers and marker deployment. Operated a 24 hr phone service to record sightings and organize the culling. We conducted training seminars for the rotary & yachts clubs, local restaurants, fisherman, Virgin Islands Search & Rescue, the marine police and water sport operators including marker production and distribution. Conducted ciguatera testing and facilitated fisherman and restaurant business relationships. Provided awareness to garner the acceptance of Lion Fish on the menus of public food establishment’s. Organized beach events to train responders, provide equipment and boats, conduct diving sweeps on reefs, and teach safe fish handling, preparing, cooking and eating of the days catch.

2013 - 2014 Assisted the PEW Foundation. Provided technical and practical information of the local marine use. Liaison with relative governmental departments, agencies and organizations. Advisor on the content of the new legislation enacted to create laws banning shark & ray fishing in the BVI waters. Help develop ways and means of enforcement of the new laws.

2014 - 2015 Assisted the University of Rhode Island professors of Ecology and Eco Systems Sciences. Provided technical and equipment support for Guana Island reef surveys and coral reattachment. Thesis assistance “Boat Anchoring Contributes to Coral Reef Degradation in the BVI”. Advisor on quantifying heavy, moderate and little anchor usage in anchorages and bays in the BVI. The information was shared with the BVI National Parks Trust (NPT) & CFD. Advised NPT & CFD on areas for mooring installations and recommended over used sites for protection. �� !Sp$C