ALPHA SUBMARINE
ADVENTURES
Introducing An Ecotourism Submarine
Excursion And Research Platform
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Alpha Submarine Adventures Virgin Islands, LLC is a sustainable tourist submarine excursion that is dedicated to promoting ecotourism for over 40,000 passengers each year in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Operations will begin in the Summer of 2022 from Crown Bay Center with up to six dives a day to beautiful Sprat Bay off Water Island. We are committed to educating the public about the importance of coral reefs to the marine environment, coastal protection and the economy. We also will be an advocate for protecting and restoring the coral reef systems in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our submarine tours of the Virgin Islands are a lucrative opportunity and your investment can help save our coral reefs and make a difference in the community.
TEACHING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CORAL REEFS
Essential foundation for complex food chains from algae, invertebrates and plants, to small reef fish seeking protection, to larger predators – keeping the balance.
Investing to save coral reefs promotes abundant marine life in fisheries that is essential for human nutritional needs.
Act as filter feeders to consume particulate matter suspended in the water enhancing quality and clarity.
Protects shorelines from storms and surge water and helps stabilize mangroves and seagrasses.
Coral reefs are the backbone of local economies dependent on tourism and so our submarine tours also help Virgin Islands residents prosper
THREATS TO CORAL REEF ECOLOGY
Stoney coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) kills zooxanthellae algae
that feed coral, resulting in bleaching and death. Other
disease threats include high pH and global warming.
EFFORTS IN THE
VIRGIN ISLANDS
TO SAVE OUR
CORAL REEFS
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Disease Wheel Monitoring- UVI; CORE, Coral World Ocean Park
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Pro-biotics development- UVI; Smithsonian
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VcpA assays - UVI; Smithsonian
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Orbicella annularis disease outplanting – UVI
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Field Amputation Trials- UVI
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Amputation/Amoxicillin Dosing – UVI; Coral World Ocean Park
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Non-Antibiotic Treatments – Mote Marine Lab
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Ballast Water and SCTLD emergence – UVI; NOAA; EPA; US Coast Guard, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
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Microbiome, Histological, Symbiont, Immunological, and Microbiome Analyses – WHOI; UVI; LSU; RICE University; UT Arlington
HOW ALPHA SUBMARINE CAN HELP
Our submarine will be equipped with measuring instruments, lights and cameras to record water, coral reef and marine life conditions on a daily basis.
Collection of water samples and measurement of depth, temperature, pH, salinity and clarity can all be performed 5-6 times a day for 350+ days a year providing and invaluable and unique longitudinal monitoring capacity for affiliated research scientists at leading universities, scientific foundations and government agencies.
Our Tourist Guests will learn about what we are doing, will receive an email with the results of their dive and a link to follow the historical and future data and research if they want to learn more. Through these means, our submarine tours help save the Virgin Islands’ coral reefs, and your investment is a direct contribution to helping sustain this amazing environment.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARINE SCIENCE
Photography and video monitoring will document coral reef and marine life conditions as a function of the other testing variables to help develop new remediation strategies and coral reef management policies.
Through our Virgin Islands submarine tours, we can actively monitor the effectiveness of current and future experiments including 3D bioprinting and coral seeding with more resilient coral species.
All test data will be explained and made available to the passengers and general public to both educate and encourage donations to those working to save the coral reefs and marine life.
AS SEEN ON
THE DIVE EXPERIENCE
After an Orientation and Safety Video, our passengers will walk a short distance to the adjacent dock to board the submarine for a 15-minute ride to Sprat Bay.
The dive will last about 40 minutes and the coral reef and marine life can be seen from both sides as the submarine safely moves through the water.
A trained naturalist will explain the marine science, our roll in water samples and data collection. They will also be given the opportunity to donate to support the efforts of our affiliated organizations to continue to find ways to preserve the coral reef ecosystem for all who depend on its sustained health and beauty.
LEADING ORGANIZATIONS
IN ST. THOMAS HELPING
THE CORAL REEF
Alpha Submarine Adventures will coordinate its research program with interested affiliated universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide a unique resource using our submarine. If you are interested in investing to save the coral reefs of the Virgin Islands, our submarine tours are a great opportunity to make a difference.
