An Earth Science Observatory at St. Croix: Economic analysis for a new scientific facility on the US Virgin Islands [Draft]

Gaines, Arthur; Gladfelter, Elizabeth; Hoagland, Porter; Kite-Powell, Hauke

This report investigates a possible new academic marine facility on Buck Island. This report presents an economic analysis of a proposed new scientific field facility at St. Croix, to be operated under the aegis of the University of South Carolina. The analysis suggests that this facility could maximize its effectiveness and viability by offering programs for observing the total tropical environment, from the atmosphere to the deep sea, using a wide range of advanced technologies and scientific disciplines. Accordingly, for purposes of this report, the facility is called the "Earth Sciences Observatory" (ESO.) Programs offered at ESO should promote both basic research and undergraduate coursework, utilizing the opportunities offered at St. Croix by living and non-living natural features. This facility would support valuable field and research experience for undergraduate students, basic scientific research and delineation of tropical systems in the global context, and would address pressing tropical issues such as pollution, diseases among invertebrates, and coastal natural resources management. The proposed ESO at St. Croix could secure its position within the wider academic community by: a) embracing high technology for monitoring, research, and communications; b) serving as an "interactive link" in the growing global network of distributed environmental information sources, to support cooperative research and new approaches to education; c) providing advanced expertise for handling living tropical marine organisms for research and education, and for studying living systems in situ; d) lending support to improved management of St. Croix and the Wider Caribbean Area; and e) bringing these perspectives and technologies to the undergraduate experience at the dawn of the 21st century. This study examines a range of facility scales, spanning about one order of magnitude. A facility in the middle of this range could be run by a core resident staff of 8 scientific and technical personnel plus 10 support staff. It would cost about $7.6 million to build and about $1.3 million per year to operate. The facility would accommodate (in year round equivalents) up to 20 visiting scientists and technicians, and 40 students, the income from whom would balance facility operation costs at occupancy rate of 76%. This report reviews relevant support infrastructure at St. Croix, gives examples of coursework that could be offered at ESO, and outlines potential research programs suggested by this tropical setting. Three potential sites for the facility are discussed. If USC chooses to proceed with creating an ESO, an intermediate step could provide a more solid basis for the final decision, perhaps two years from now. This step, launching a formal "ESO Initiative", would require a commitment of a chairperson, staff, and perhaps $250,000. Its charge would be to resolve all crucial remaining matters, such as: the search for a director, resolution of siting issues, more precise cost estimates, academic collaboration, and securing private monies.