Background Paper No. 2


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state government.


 The establishment of a realistic working relationship

 such as this between the College of the Virgin Islands and

 the Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs would

 clear the way for more meaningful coordination of research,

 avoidance of the possibility of duplication of effort, and

 possibly fiscal saving with regard to resources.



 Each biologist working in the Virgin Islands is inti-

mately familiar with the research needs within his field of

study. Because of the relatively small number of scientists

concerned, and because of the potential degree of informal

communication afforded, there should be a general understand-

ing upon the part of each scientist of the principal eco-

logical research needs.


 However, because of the administrative barriers out-

lined above, and because a not inconsiderable amount of the

ecological research conducted in these islands is in fact

conducted by visiting investigators often without affiliation

with these regional organizations, there is often a communi-

cations gap.


 It would be in the interests of the various research

organizations within the Virgin Islands to establish a reg-

ular open-discussion group for the systematic and periodic

exchange of ideas and information on ecological research.

The structure of such a group need not be formal, and it's