U. S. Virgin Islands

The biologically rich coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) consist of a mosaic of benthic habitats, principally hard coral and other hard bottom areas, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests that are home to a great diversity of organisms. These coral reef ecosystems provide, inter alia, shoreline protection and support valuable socio- economic activities. The USVI consists of three large main islands, east of Puerto Rico and several smaller islands. St. Croix is the largest island, St. Thomas is the second largest, and St. John is the third largest. Coral reefs in the USVI and reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean face similar environmental stresses which include climate change, diseases, storms, coastal development and runoff, coastal pollution, tourism and recreation, fishing, and groundings.

State of the Reefs Reports (SOTR)

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008.

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2005.

The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2002.

Metadata, Data and Publications Search in CoRIS

Search the CoRIS Data & Publications Section for Virgin Islands metadata, data and publications

Reef Base Coral Bleaching Reports

Select "U.S. Caribbean" in the region window and "Virgin Islands (U.S.)" in the Country window.

Near-real-time Data

The Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program

NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Program

NOAA's Coral Reef Watch: Satellite coral bleaching monitoring

NOAA Coral Reef Watch: SST/DHW Time Series and Satellite Bleaching Alerts

Coral Bleaching Indices: Degree HeatingWeeks

CREWS Station Data Report
St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
17o 47.045' N, 64o 45.689' W

Real Time Data for U.S. Virgin Islands
USGS Water Resources of the Caribbean

NOAA Tides and Currents

NOAA/National Weather Service

University of the Virgin Islands Water Resources Research Institute Weather Center Online Weather Station

NOAA's Integrated Coral Observing Networking (ICON)

Key Documents

U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Local Action Strategy for the U.S. Virgin Islands

Organic Act of 1954

A Report on the State of the Islands

Benthic Habitat Mapping of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Other Publications

Fish Assemblage and Benthic Habitats of Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Surrounding Seascapes: A Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Patterns

Education and Outreach

Virgin Islands Receives Over $4 Million from Office of Insular Affairs for Wastewater Project

NOAA warning: Virgin Islands coral reefs threatened again

Funding for Virgin Islands coral reef projects renewed

Virgin Islands National park

Virgin Islands - Source: 2006 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK and the Library of Congress Country Studies

National Park Service: Protecting the Nation's Coral Reefs

U.S. Geological Survey: Protecting the Nation's Coral Reefs

Office of Insular Affairs: Protecting the Nation's Coral Reefs

U.S. Department of the Interior: Protecting the Nation's Coral Reefs

Marine Protected Areas/Marine Managed Areas

National Marine Fisheries Service Inventory of Marine Managed Areas

Report on the Status of Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States. Volume 1: Marine Protected Areas Managed by U.S. States,Territories, and Commonwealths. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 2 February 2007

Virgin Islands Marine Protected Areas – PowerPoint presentation

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf, and South Atlantic

Marine Protected Areas of the United States Home Page

The Marine Protected Areas Inventory

Federal MPA Legislation

Marine Federal Areas Fact Sheet

Executive order 13158: Marine Protected Areas

MPA Virtual Library

U.S. Virgin Islands Marine Resources and Fisheries Strategic and Comprehensive Conservation Plan - 2005

Areas of particular Concern (APC)

Island Resources Foundation, 2002. Resource Description Report.
University of the Virgin Islands and Department of Planning and Natural Resources. USVI, 14 August, 2002.

Botany Bay APC

Buck Island national Wildlife refuge

Buck Island Reef National Monument

Cas Cay - Mangrove lagoon Marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Cas Cay - Mangrove lagoon Marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Chocolate Hole-Great Cruz bay APC

Christiansted Waterfront APC

Compass Point Pond Marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

Coral Bay APC

Enighed Pond-Cruz Bay APC

Establishment of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Frank Bay Wildlife and Marine Sanctuary

Frederiksted Waterfront APC

Great Pond and Great Pond Bay APC

GovNotes on the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge

Hind Bank Marine Conservation District

Magens Bay & Watershed APC

Mandahl Bay APC Mangrove Lagoon-Benner

Mangrove Lagoon-Benner Bay APC

MPA Global. A Database of the world’s marine protected areas: U.S. Virgin Islands

Mutton Snapper Spawning Aggregation Area

Salt River Bay National Park and Ecological Reserve

Salt River Bay & Watershed

Salt River Bay Marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary Selective Bibliography: Salt River Canyon Region, St. Croix USVI

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

Sandy Point Area of Particular Concern (APC)

Southgate Pond-Chenay Bay APC

Southshore Industrial Area APC

St.Croix East End Marine Park

St. Croix Coral Reef System APC

St. James marine Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary

St. Thomas Harbor and Waterfront

U.S. Geological Survey Field Station: Virgin Islands national Park

Vessup Bay-East End APC

Virgin Islands Marine Protected Areas – a powerpoint presentation

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Virgin Islands National Park

Wetlands of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Other data

STEER Coastal Use Mapping Project

An Ecological Characterization of Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, U.S. Virgin Islands

USGS Coastal & Marine Geology InfoBank Regions (Virgin Islands) Data & Metadata

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems-- Virgin Islands

2006 Tide data for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Lesser Antilles

USGS Real-Time Water Data for Virgin Islands

USGS Water Resources of the Caribbean

Historical Climate Summaries for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Ultraviolet Monitoring Program: UV-Net

Virgin Islands Station Data Inventory NOAA/NWS Cooperative Observer Network Active Stations as of Jan. 1998

Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States

United States Virgin Islands Beach Monitoring Field Manual

GEOID99 Data for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: PC format

Anaglyph with Landsat Virgin Islands, Caribbean

University of the Virgin Islands Conservation Data Centerente3rCenter

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Earthquake Information

Earthquake in the U.S.Virgin Islands

Map of flood and high flow condition (Virgin Islands)

Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands Spatial Data Sets

Status of U.S. Virgin Islands National park Inventories

Caribbean Region RECON Data Report: U.S. Virgin Islands/St. Croix

U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Sensitivity Index Files

Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands high resolution aerial imagery (1965-1999)

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