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U. S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), a territory of the United States, is a group of islands in the Caribbean. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Lesser Antilles. 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. The total land area of the USVI is 346 km2 (134 mi2).

The biologically rich coral reef ecosystems in the 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. 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

Virgin Islands location map

Satellite image of St. John, the third largest of the U.S. Virgin islands

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.

Highlights

Publications

USVI's Coral Reef Management Priorities (2010)

US Virgin Islands Capacity Assessment Report and Coral Reef Conservation Timeline

Benthic Habitat Mapping

St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER)

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

Survey and impact assessment of derelict fish traps in St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 147

National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Socioeconomic Monitoring Component Summary Findings for USVI (2017)

Gap Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Data for the Dept. of Interior – National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program (Sept. 2011)

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

Socioeconomic monitoring guidelines for coastal managers in the Caribbean: Socmon Caribbean

USGS Water Resources of the Caribbean

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.

Local Action Strategy

U.S. Virgin Islands Local Action Strategy Factsheet

Fisheries Local Action Strategy Projects in the US Virgin Islands: Progress and Direction

An Analysis of Issues Affecting the Management of Coral Reefs and the Associated Capacity Building Needs in the United States Virgin Islands

Watershed Management Plans

Coral Bay watershed management plan : a pilot project for watershed planning in the USVI

Fish Bay management plan for Fish Bay watershed, St. John, United States Virgin Islands Department of Planning & Natural Resources 2001

St. Croix East End Watersheds Management Plan - (November 2011)

2013 St. Thomas East End Reserves Watershed Management Plan

2013 STEER Watershed Existing Conditions Report

Metadata, Data and Publications Search in CoRIS

Search the CoRIS Geoportal 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

Coral Reef Watch Satellite Monitoring

Coral Reef Watch - Virgin Islands Virtual Stations

The Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program

NOAA/National Weather Service - Data from U.S. Virgin Islands

USGS Water Resources - Data for U.S. Virgin Islands

NOAA CO-OPS - Tide Data

NOAA Tide Predictions - Lesser Antilles & Virgin Islands

Other data

Characterizing Participation in Non-Commercial Fishing and other Shore-based Recreational Activities on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Patterns of shore-based fishing and recreation on St. Croix, USVI

STEER Coastal Use Mapping Project

St. John BIOMapper - an interactive web tool to view maps & data

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

Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Seafloor Characterization of the U.S. Caribbean

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

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

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

Anaglyph with Landsat Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Earthquake Information

U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Files

USGS Projected Flood Extent for USVI

Education and Outreach

Marine Outreach and Education US Virgin Islands Style (MOES-VI): Strategizing for Improved Outreach, Education and Communication Pertaining to USVI Marine and Fisheries Management and Conservation

Evaluation of Marine Outreach and Education USVI Style Initiative: Improving Fishing Community Awareness and Compliance

Virgin Islands National Park

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

Marine Protected Areas/Marine Managed Areas

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

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

Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge

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

Vessup Bay-East End APC

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument

Virgin Islands National Park