Background Paper No. 2


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the regional West Indian conservation organization.


 I am fully aware that I have not touched upon those

several aspects of research that should, rightly, come with-

in the scope of ecological research in the Virgin Islands.

These include, for example, research conducted by the De-

partment of Agriculture, the Soil Conservation Service, and

possibly other agencies. They also include research conduct-

ed at the West Indies Laboratory of Fairleigh Dickinson Uni-

versity, St. Croix. I hope that those officials in these or-

ganizations will not feel that such omission is intentional;

it is rather simply based upon my lack of information con-

cerning their activities.



 Discussion


 It should be obvious from the data presented above that

the Virgin Islands today have a large and diverse number of

organizations within the operational structure of which eco-

logical research is conducted. It is, in fact, a remarkable

assemblage for a tri-island community comprising only some

70,000 inhabitants.


 A major factor in defining the research needs of the

Virgin Islands today lies in the need for a clear definition

of the respective roles to he played by these now extant

research organizations, and consequently the allocations of

research programs.