News Articles

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - A shipyard lift is not the flashiest piece of waterfront equipment, but it can change the kind of work an island economy is able to capture. That is why the recent $763,401 federal shipyard grant awarded to St. Croix Marine Center matters. The funding supports a major piece of marine infrastructure: a vessel lift package with a capacity of about 165,000 pounds, tied to a 75-ton variable-width Marine Travelift. In practical terms, that gives St. Croix

A.J. Pike St. Croix - A small predator arrived on St. Croix in the late 1800s with a simple job: eat the rats that were damaging sugarcane. The plan sounded practical. Rats were a costly problem for planters, and the Small Indian Mongoose had a reputation as a bold, quick hunter. Then the island learned a hard ecological lesson. A predator introduced for one purpose does not stay inside that purpose. The mongoose did not solve the rat problem in the way planters had hoped. In

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - The St. Croix Rain Forest feels wild, but it is not untouched. Its shady roads, tall mahogany trees, mango groves, streambeds, and old stonework hold one of the island’s most layered histories. This forest in western St. Croix is more than a scenic escape. It tells the story of Indigenous knowledge, European colonization, forced labor, resistance, farming, water engineering, and modern conservation. It also reminds the U.S. Virgin Islands that nature

A.J. Pike St. Croix - A single fruit fly can look harmless. The Mediterranean fruit fly is not harmless. The discovery of the medfly on St. Croix has triggered a level of response the U.S. Virgin Islands has never seen before: the first USDA-approved federal quarantine in the USVI for this pest. That step signals more than a technical change in regulation. It means federal and local agricultural officials see a serious threat to crops, food security, backyard fruit trees, and

For Immediate Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2026 Press Contact: Louis E. Petersen, Jr. Commissioner louis.petersen@doa.vi.gov VI Department of Agriculture Declares a Phytosanitary Emergency and Quarantine Measures Due to the Detection of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly [St. Croix, Virgin Islands] — The Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture is alerting the Virgin Islands community of a state of emergency (relating to the health of plants) to the recent de

A.J. Pike USVI & BVI - A boundary line on the water has become a business line for charter operators in the Virgin Islands. For years, charter boats and water taxis have moved between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands with a rhythm that supported both economies. Guests flew into St. Thomas, boarded boats in the USVI, cleared into the BVI, and spent money across the chain of islands. That balance is now under strain. The USVI has set a new deadline for res

A.J. Pike USVI - A few nautical miles can decide whether a drug load reaches shore, gets transferred at sea, or falls into the hands of federal agents. That is why U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) decision to double its patrol distance off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands matters. The change expands CBP’s patrol reach from the traditional 12 nautical mile boundary to 24 nautical miles in waters around two of the most important U.S. territories in the Caribbea

Dominic Delgado Special to the St. Croix Times USVI - A winter morning off St. Croix can look calm and empty until a humpback whale breaks the surface, exhales in a burst of mist, and reminds everyone on the water that the U.S. Virgin Islands sit along one of the Caribbean’s great marine routes. The waters around St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and the wider USVI are more than postcard-blue scenery. They include shallow banks, reef edges, deep channels, submarine canyons, an

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - On St. Croix, a farm visit can begin with a row of callaloo, pass through a grove of mango or breadfruit trees, and end with a plate of food that explains the island better than any brochure can. Agritourism on St. Croix is still growing, but it already plays a meaningful role in how the island tells its story. It connects travelers with local food, gives farmers new ways to earn income, and brings residents into closer contact with the land that feed

M.A. Dworkin The Deep Blue - Some sharks swimming today may have been alive before the United States existed. In the cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic, Greenland sharks move so slowly that they seem almost suspended in time. Some may live for centuries, carrying in their bodies a record of survival that began long before modern science could explain them. Ancient sharks are more than eerie ocean legends. They are living case studies in endurance. Sharks as a

M.A. Dworkin Washington, DC - Coral reefs are living infrastructure. They shelter coastlines, support fisheries, draw visitors, and hold cultural meaning across island communities. On September 2, 2026, those connections were front and center in Washington, DC, as the 52nd U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting brought federal, state, territorial, and island partners together to focus on reef protection at a critical moment. The Department of Planning and Natural Resources, known

M.A. Dworkin The Caribbean Sea - Octopuses are among the most fascinating creatures in the ocean. Their intelligence, adaptability, and physical features set them apart from many other marine animals. Understanding the wonders of the octopus reveals not only their survival skills but also their remarkable place in the natural world. An octopus blending perfectly with the coral reef, showcasing its camouflage ability Incredible Intelligence and Problem-Solving Skills Octopuses