More than a decade ago, a quiet anchorage off Battowia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, became the backdrop to one of EPIC’s most influential research efforts. Aboard the double masted wooden schooner Lista Light, Katharine and Dave Lowerie were concluding a two-year survey that would reshape scientific understanding of seabird populations across the Lesser Antilles.

Supported by EPIC, the couple traveled to more than two hundred islands, islets, and cays, documenting seabird colonies during shifting breeding seasons and challenging conditions. They paddled through rough surf, trekked across uncharted terrain, and revisited islands multiple times to ensure accurate population counts. Their findings filled major gaps in regional knowledge and revealed seabird nesting colonies that had been presumed lost.

The result of their efforts was EPIC’s landmark publication, The Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles, which set a new scientific baseline for seabird conservation in the region. The atlas continues to guide management decisions today and remains a key reference for governments, researchers, and conservation groups.

EPIC’s seabird program has grown steadily since those early voyages. Under the leadership of co-founder and avian biologist Natalia Collier, EPIC continues to work with regional partners to standardize research methods, train new biologists, and support long-term monitoring. These efforts have helped build a stronger conservation network across the Caribbean and strengthened protection for vital coastal habitats.

EPIC is celebrating 25 years of work across more than 20 Caribbean island nations or territories - made possible by you and people like the Lowrie's.

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