SoMAS Professors Rally to Help Repair Hurricane Damage to Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory in Jamaica

Brad Peterson (left) from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Camilo Trench, chief scientific officer at Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory.

Stony Brook University has a long relationship with the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (DBML), a facility of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St. Ann, Jamaica.

The brainchild of Thomas Goreau, a professor of marine science at Stony Brook, the lab was founded in 1965 with its permanent structure opening in 1970, dedicated to supporting research and the teaching of biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, hydrology and geography. Though Goreau passed away tragically at age 46 - a month before the DBML officially opened - he would be gratified to know that 56 years later, the lab remains a critical hub for international education and research in the Caribbean.

In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a powerful tropical cyclone, caused catastrophic damage upon landfall in Jamaica. Melissa was the strongest recorded hurricane to ever hit the island and generated the highest wind gust ever recorded, an astonishing gust of 252 mph. Along with most of Jamaica, DBML sustained significant damage.

Brad Peterson and Joe Warren, both professors in Stony Brook's School of Atmospheric and Marine Science (SoMAS), have led the university's Study Abroad programin Jamaica for the past 20 years. Peterson said, "When Melissa hit, my immediate thought was 'what can we do to help?'"

He reached out to the DBML lab director, who sent a list of items that could offer immediate help, like solar-powered lanterns. From there, he put together a list of past students who participated in the program, asking for any help they might be able to provide. The reaction was immediate.

"I started hearing from people and some of them had their own text groups and kept in contact with other students," he said. "Next door we have Marisa DeBonis, a SoMAS lecturer who took the class in 2012. She immediately came in after the email saying that she had just gotten a text from people who were in the class with her. The students who were going with us also wanted to help."

Once there, the group witnessed the devastation firsthand. Using a drone, Warren documented the extensive roof damage to one of the dormitory buildings.

Drone image of the damage done to the laboratory by Hurricane Melissa. Photo courtesy of Joe Warren.

"In the building we stayed, the entire second floor was unusable," said Peterson. "It literally rained in the rooms we were in. They were grateful that Stony Brook came back and helped. The dean of the biology department came up from Kingston to tell us how appreciative he was."

Equally moving, said Peterson, was witnessing the devastation Hurricane Melissa inflicted on the surrounding community, which suffered even more severely than the lab.

"Even four months later, many families continue to live without electricity, consistent access to water, or other basic necessities," said Peterson. "It meant so much to deliver critically needed supplies including solar chargers, flashlights, power banks, mosquito repellent, disinfectant wipes, toiletries, and basic school supplies. These gifts from our students and alumni were not abstract acts of kindness, they were tangible lifelines, placed directly into the hands of individuals and families who are deeply grateful."

Peterson said the lab is currently addressing the "low-hanging fruit" that's easy for them to do.

"The roof is the most expensive thing," he said. "They're still trying to find the resources to address that. The lab itself is kind of an island. It's got its own generator, its own wind and its own solar power. But if you go a couple miles outside of Discovery Bay, and even now, there are places that are still without power and water even now."

The most recent group returned from Jamaica in the middle of January, and Peterson plans to go again next January with another cross-discipline group of students.

"Many of these students are from SoMAS, but not all of them," he said. "We've had students from biology, mathematics, business and more. It's open to all majors. And it's in the winter session, so it's always been a popular program. It's always filled."

The lab is situated on the water at Discovery Bay and is an excellent location for educational field trips, scientific research, seminars and workshops. The facility serves as an "absolute sanctuary" for marine life study, focusing on the impact of surrounding bauxite sediment and environmental changes on coral reef ecosystems.

The lab was jointly operated by UWI and Stony Brook until 1975. It came under the management of the Centre for Marine Sciences at the UWI Mona Campus in 1990.

Peterson said students feel a connection to the lab and want to be part of its return to previous glory.

"What resonates with me is that this is a study abroad program, you can interact with students in a way you don't normally in a classroom," said Peterson. "You're with them all the time. They're snorkeling, they're in the water and they experience life memories that they attach to the class. I think that that's why they were so ready and willing to help. Because they have great memories attached to that place."

Peterson expressed gratitude for the extraordinary outpouring of support students showed toward both the laboratory and the surrounding community in St. Ann Parish. "Their generosity was deeply felt and genuinely impactful."

- Robert Emproto