Our work has directly benefited approximately 60 square miles of coral reef habitat. Additionally, Partnership efforts have resulted in the training of nearly 600 individuals and the completion of eight new plans to directly support coral reef management and site-based coral reef restoration.

• Mapped and quantified protection provided by coastal ecosystems in the USVI to help local resource managers and decision makers identify coastal habitats that reduce risks from coastal hazards to local communities by providing storm protection, as well as to explore potential impacts of management actions (such as the removal or restoration of nearshore habitat).
• Created response plans for coral bleaching and vessel groundings resulting in the creation of a BleachWatch program and the training of more than 200 volunteers to assess and respond to coral bleaching.
• Outplanted 16,533 elkhorn and staghorn corals, directly enhancing 8,036 square meters of coral reef within the St. Thomas East End Reserve and the St. Croix East End Marine Park.
• Created a coral restoration plan for the East End Marine Park that includes outplanting corals throughout the park, creating a demonstration site, and offering snorkeling tours as an opportunity for community engagement.
• Completed and shared human-use maps for the St. Croix East End Marine Park; maps were created through a participatory mapping workshop and will be used to inform management efforts.
• Supported management activities at the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) to increase management effectiveness and build capacity at the site by: conducting a visitor willingness-to-pay study; fieldwork for watershed assessments, contaminants, and biological monitoring; and developing models to analyze the impacts of sea level rise in the territory.
• Held a USVI Climate Change Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EBA) Workshop that facilitated stakeholders in developing strategies to incorporate climate adaptation into disaster response, site-level management, and coastal zone planning, resulting in the first climate change policy document in the USVI.
• Trained over 39 participating Reef Responsible Restaurants that have voluntarily made commitments to improve their best practices when purchasing locally harvested seafood. Additionally, more than 1,000 participants engaged through Reef Responsible community events.
• Installed a coral restoration demonstration nursery containing 6 different species of coral in the East End Marine Park and trained 3 park staff and 16 volunteers in restoration methodology.
• Supported learning exchanges and workshops for 67 local resource managers and practitioners to respond to the outbreak of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the USVI.
• Hosted the first USVI Coral Restoration Learning Exchange bringing together restoration practitioners from across the territory and special guest experts from Florida to share knowledge and techniques.
• Responded to 9 vessel groundings with boat support, assessing damage, performing triage to broken corals and carrying out restoration.

SUCCESS STORY:  East End Marine Park: Coral Restoration Encourages Community Involvement

Coral restoration is becoming an important tool in safeguarding our coral reefs in the face of climate change, coral disease, and land-based sources of pollution. Staff at the St. Croix East End Marine Park (EEMP) discovered coral reef restoration to be an effective means of engaging more stakeholders and volunteers in conservation and restoration efforts at the park.

The EEMP staff partnered with restoration practitioners at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to develop a coral restoration plan for the park. The plan outlined the value of active restoration and detailed a demonstration nursery project aimed at community engagement.

Coral Patrols – Multiply Impact and Build Capacity with Volunteers

Park staff were trained in cutting edge restoration techniques and then installed a demonstration nursery at Cramer’s Park. The nursery consists of two table structures containing six species of coral and provides essential coral stock for outplanting and restoration within the park.

To increase their capacity and impact, the park staff established a community-based a Coral Patrol. 16 volunteer divers were recruited to the Coral Patrol where they were trained to provide valuable in-water assistance to support restoration efforts and help maintain the installations. 

This team of volunteers has been a valuable support to the small staff. EEMP Coordinator Caroline Pott shared, “Coral Patrol volunteers allow the park to extend its impact much further than is possible with its small staff. More eyes and more hands truly multiply the impact of work we do and allow us to do much more.” Together with the Coral Patrol, the Staff, TNC and EEMP staff successfully outplanted 35 coral fragments from the nursery onto a nearby patch reef.

A Bright Future and Goals to Increase Community Engagement

Since its installation in 2019, the coral nursery is proving to be a fun and innovative way to engage residents and tourists in coral reef conservation and increase their understanding of ongoing efforts to protect and restore this important ecosystem in St. Croix.

Located at a popular site for beach-goers within the marine protected area and near the shore, the nursery is easily seen by visitors while snorkeling. In its first year, the park held four site tours for specific groups and one site tour for the general public.

Future plans aim to conduct four public tours a year, engage more volunteers and interns, and expand their involvement to include collecting data on coral survival and health, taking 3-D photos, and outplanting more corals onto nearby patch reefs.