Dr. Vance P. Vicente
(president of Vicente & Associates)
Dr. Vance P. Vicente obtained MS and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Sciences in 1973 and 1987 from the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico (UPR). After completing his MS degree, he became Assistant Science Program Coordinator of the Puerto Rico International Undersea Laboratory (PRINUL), the world’s first mobile undersea laboratory. From 1976 to 1982 he was a Research Scientist of Benthic Ecology for the Marine Ecology Division, Center for Energy and Environmental Research (CEER) at UPR under programs sponsored by the U.S. Energy Resource and Development Administration. He began Ph.D. studies in 1982 while working as an environmental scientist at CEER. Between 1989 and 1996 he held supervisory positions while performing technical/scientific duties for both: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and for the National Marine Fisheries Service. During this time period he received seven Federal Government Special Achievement Awards. Dr. Vicente has also worked as a guest scientist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Since 1990, Dr. Vicente has been a Member of the Habitat Panel Committee, U.S. NMFS/NOAA, and Member of the Scientific and Statistics Committee, U.S. NMFS/NOAA. At present he is also a member of the Puerto Rico Climate Change Committee (PRDNRE) and a founding member of the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS.org). Also since 1990, Dr. Vicente has held academic responsibilities as Lecturer, ad honorem Professor, Advisor, Graduate Committee Member (MS and Ph.D. candidates) and Graduate School Representative of the University of Puerto Rico and other universities.
In 1996 he formed Vicente & Associates, Inc., a marine environmental consulting firm specializing in marine studies involving ecological evaluations and monitoring of marine systems exposed or potentially exposed to different pollution sources including oil spills, thermal effluents, heavy metals and other anthropogenic sources in the Caribbean, West Africa, and Madagascar. Dr. Vicente has a long list of scientific and technical publications in referred journals, books and technical reports and has served in international panels all related to the marine environment. Regarding marine pollution studies in the Caribbean Sea, Vicente was a principal investigator of benthic ecological studies conducted on the South Coast Industrial Site between 1980 – 2011 under the Center for Energy and Environment Research (University of Puerto Rico) and for the EcoEléctrica LNG Import Terminal and Cogeneration Project. This project led to the successful mitigation and monitoring of sea grasses and corals for which EcoEléctrica received the USEPA Region 2 Industrial Environmental Quality Award. Other notable projects include: regional coordinator for the damage assessment and restoration program of the Morris J. Berman Oil Spill as well as leading efforts to evaluate the effects of the Mystery Oil Spill on mangroves, sea grass beds and coral reefs on the south coast of Puerto Rico.
Dr. Vicente has also performed all marine studies related to the installation of the first marine fiber optic cables in the Caribbean for AT&T, and New World Network. His work in this area continues to this day as he studies the long-term impacts of marine fiber optic cables to benthic communities (coral and other) on the Atlantic coast of Puerto Rico. Dr. Vicente has since been invited by the US-EPA, NOAA, the Nature Conservancy, the San Juan Bay Estuary Program and by the Government of Puerto Rico as an expert on various meetings regarding impacts to marine and estuarine resources associated with climate change and other stressors, and to the use of ecosystem based approach to mitigate environmental problems affecting the marine environment. At present, Vicente continues monitoring coral reef, sea grass beds and other Essential Fish Habitats, designated Critical Habitats, and Marine Protected areas in the US Caribbean.
Education
BS Biology. University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
MS Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (RUM)
PhD Marine Sciences. University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (RUM)
PhD Advisor: Dr. Paul M. Yoshioka
Languages
Spanish: Fluent in writing and speaking
English: Fluent in writing and speaking
French: Read and speak
Latin: three years of course
Active Memberships
2007-present Member of the Editorial Board: Tropical Estuaries: A Multidisciplinary Journal of Tropical & Subtropical Estuarine Sciences.
1990 –present Chairman of the Scientific and Statistics Committee (SSC), U.S. NMFS/NOAA U.S. Caribbean Fisheries Management Council.
1990 - present Chairman of the Habitat Panel Committee, U.S. NMFS/NOAA U.S. Caribbean Fisheries Management Council. (Functions fused with the SSC).
2010-present Member of the Puerto Rico Climate Change Group. Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Coastal Zone Management Program.
2010 - present Member of the West Indian Manatee Working Group USGS NC Coop. Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Biodiversity and Spatial Information Center (BaSIC). Participation in workshops under C. Ashton Drew, PhD Department of Biology North Carolina State University.
Professional Appointments
1996-Present Environmental Consultant President, Vicente & Associates, Inc.
1990-2010 Ad Honorem Professor, University of Puerto Rico, Department of Marine Sciences
Management of Marine Resources. CINA 4995. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. A 3 credit undergraduate course.
Marine Ecology, Biology 420. A 6 credits undergraduate course
1996 - 2010 Lecturer, University of Puerto Rico, Department of Environmental Sciences
Universidad Metropolitana (UMET)
1993 - 1996 Fisheries Biologist, U.S. Caribbean Coordinator of Fisheries and Endangered Species U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service
Responsibilities included: development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), assessments during environmental emergencies (e.g. oil spills, groundings), development of conservation and management strategies for protected resources (e.g. sea turtles) and fisheries resources for the US Caribbean. Served as Consultant for the Sea Turtle Recovery Teams. Evaluations of SUPERFUND sites (Humacao, P.R.). Served as Environmental Spokesman during live fire tests at sea: southeast coast of Puerto Rico.
Evaluation of proposals submitted to: National Undersea Research Program (NOAA), SK Grant Applications (NOAA), National Park Service (DOI), Florida and UPR Sea Grant Programs, Puerto Rico Conservation Foundation. Evaluation of manuscripts submitted to: CRC Press, Bulletin of Marine Sciences, Caribbean Journal of Science, Mote Marine Laboratory. Evaluations of environmental impacts following natural (e.g. hurricanes) and anthropogenic (e.g. oil spill) disasters. Evaluation of documents prepared or submitted to/by EPA, USACOE, Damage Assessment Center, CITES Secretariat, UNEP.
1989 - 1993 Chief of Ecological Service Acting Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Participated in all activities related to wetland conservation, permit applications and sea turtle and manatee studies being conducted within the region. Served as Sea Turtle Coordinator for the US Caribbean and as Consultant to the Sea Turtle Recovery Team.
International programs (NBC and CNN NEWS: on global aspects of coral reefs, Miami, USA; UNIVISION (on oil spills); 2. National public education programs (KTCA TV, USA). Produced a Documentary on Marine Sponges, Newton’s Apple; 3. Conducted public interviews on environmental problems in Puerto Rico using local Radio Stations (WEUC), WECO, WKAQ). Conducted public seminars for public schools on conservation and management of coastal resources. Participated actively on Youth Conservation Club (USDOI) as well as on UPR Sea Grant public education programs.
1988 - 1989 Scientist I, Marine Ecology Division, Center for Energy (CEER, UPR)
1987 - 1988 Environmental Scientist & Consultant, Center for Energy and Environmental Research (CEER, UPR)
1976 - 1982 Research Scientist, Benthic Ecology Marine Ecology Division, U.S. ERDA Center for Energy (CEER, UPR)
1974- Research Associate, Benthic and Aquatic Ecology Radioecology Division, Puerto Rico Nuclear Center U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
1973- Assistant Science Program Coordinator, The Puerto Rico International Undersea Laboratory (PRINUL)
Academic Responsibilities
Graduate School Representative and External Examiner for the UPR and University of West Indies, Barbados.
Research assistant Department of Chemistry, Stanford University: Biosynthetic Pathways of Sterol Compounds Project.
Instructor, Marine Sciences and Aquaculture Program, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Facultad de Ciencias, Dominican Republic.
Marine Ecology: a training course for the faculty of the Marine Sciences and Aquaculture Program, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Facultad de Ciencias, Dominican Republic, December 1985.
Taxonomy and Ecology of marine sponges and sea grass species. Marine Biology Research Center (Centro de Investigaciones de Biología Marina or “CIBIMA”), Dominican Republic (Hispaniola).
Taxonomist and Ecologist for the U.S. Energy Resources Development Administration Center for Energy and Environmental Research (UPR).
Member, Scientific Team, OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant). PR. Principal Investigator of baseline studies.
Chief Scientist of research vessels R/V Palumbo and R/V Sultana. Environmental studies for a propose 900 MWe Coal/Oil fired Power Plant.
Other Responsibilities
Advisor and expert witness for the Department of Natural Resources (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) during the “Barcelo vs Weinberger.” Evaluation of military training activities on the natural resources of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.
Conducted field studies and developed the marine section of a Management Plan for the Natural Reserve of La Cordillera, Fajardo, and Puerto Rico. Special Report for the Protected Species Management Branch/NMFS/SERO. 70pp.
2012- Selected expert to assist the US EPA in defining reef attributes that constitute the biological integrity of a fully functional coral reef. 2012 Workshop, at DMS/UPR
2012- Selected expert to assist NOAA on the Vulnerability Assessment of Fish Stocks to Climate Change. 2012 Workshop, at SEFSC, Miami Laboratory.