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.
Virgin Islands location map
Satellite image of St. John, the third largest of the U.S. Virgin islands. Coral reefs in St. John generally form fringing, patch, or spur-in-groove formations that are patchily distributed around the island.
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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