Government of the United States Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources

Marker Buoy Maintenance Plan for St. Croix East End Marine Park

2011

Government of the United States Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources

"The St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP), established in 2003 through Act No. 6572, encompasses a wide variety of marine habitats and covers approximately 60 nautical miles. The STXEEMP is a multi-use park including areas designated for recreational use, no take-zones, open use areas and a wildlife preserve. In 2011, 18 marker buoys were installed around and within the park, designating boundaries of each zone (Figure 1). Due to lack of maintenance, some buoys have been lost over the past 3 years. Currently, only approximately 8 of the marker buoys are still in the water, and these are in need of repair. The STXEEMP is now proposing to restore and/or reinstall all 18 marker buoys with a clear and defined marker buoy maintenance plan detailed in this document. The main objectives of the STXEEMP marker buoys are to raise awareness of the park itself and to provide stakeholders and users with clear and visible boundaries to the zones within the park. "

FY2011 CRCP Project ID 20645; Project Title: O095 Domestic Coral Reef Conservation Grant Programs; Principal Investigator: Jenny Waddell; International grant NA11NOS4820004