HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal, a Virgin Islander and Director of the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI), has been appointed as a Commissioner to the Sargasso Sea Commission by the Government of Bermuda.
The appointment was authorised under the Hamilton Declaration, an agreement established following two years of negotiations among governments with interests in the Sargasso Sea region and high seas conservation.
The governments of the Azores, Bermuda, Monaco, the United Kingdom, and the United States initially signed the declaration. The Virgin Islands later joined the agreement alongside the Bahamas, Canada, and the Cayman Islands, with the Dominican Republic becoming the most recent signatory.
Titley-O’Neal said she welcomed the appointment and looked forward to contributing to the body’s work.
“I am very pleased to have been appointed to this Commission. I look forward to beginning work, sharing my expertise, and learning from my colleagues to achieve the Commission’s goals,” she stated.
Titley-O’Neal holds a PhD in marine biology from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, a Master’s degree in applied marine science from the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor’s degree in marine biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the United States.
The Sargasso Sea Commission is comprised of independent international and local experts who serve three-year terms overseeing the stewardship, conservation, health, productivity, and resilience of the high-seas ecosystem.
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