Dr Cassander P. Titley-O’Neal, a Virgin Islander and Director of the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI), has been appointed as Commissioner to the Sargasso Sea Commission by the Government of Bermuda. Photo: esbvi.com

The Sargasso Sea Commission is comprised of independent, international, and local experts that serve three-year terms overseeing the high-seas ecosystem stewardship, conservation, health, productivity, and resilience. Photo: Internet Source

As part of her first three-year term, Dr Cassander P. Titley-O'Neal oversees National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands operations across 21 national parks. Photo: NPTVI

The Sargasso Sea Commission is comprised of independent, international, and local experts who serve three-year terms overseeing the high-seas ecosystem stewardship, conservation, health, productivity, and resilience.   

Her appointment is authorised under the Hamilton Declaration, established through two years of negotiations among governments with interests in the Sargasso Sea region or high seas conservation, a press release from NPTVI on January 7, 2026, explained. 

The Hamilton Declaration was initially signed by the governments of the Azores, Bermuda, Monaco, the United Kingdom and the United States, and later joined by the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Canada, the Cayman Islands, and, most recently, the Dominican Republic.

Looking forward to sharing expertise

“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,” Titley-O'Neal said. 

Dr Titley-O'Neal currently oversees NPTVI operations across 21 national parks.  

Her responsibilities include balancing conservation, protection and sustainable management of these valuable natural resources in the Virgin Islands, with the economic demands of tourism.  

According to the NPTVI, this international appointment recognises Dr Titley-O’Neal’s leadership and long-standing commitment to conservation and ensures that the Virgin Islands has a strong voice in protecting one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems.

Years of experience

Dr Titley-O'Neal holds a PhD in marine biology from the University of New Brunswick  (Canada), an MSc in applied marine science from the University of Plymouth (UK), and a BSc in marine biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (USA).

She has many years of experience, including over 16 years as an environmental consultant, and specialises in ecotoxicology, where she investigates the nature, effects, and interactions of substances that are harmful to the environment and the organisms living in it, specifically endocrine disruption in female marine gastropods (snails).  

Her research appears in various peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Science of the Total Environment, Bulletin of Marine Science and Water Quality Research Journal of Canada.

Dr Titley-O'Neal contributed to the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) for the Virgin Islands (Envision 2040) in 2019, now ratified by the Planning Authority.  

She has also worked regionally as the K2 - Marine Specialist for the Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (CROP), where she led the development of 5 marine spatial plans for St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and the regional framework.