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Coral Reef Health Assessment and Comprehensive Recovery Plan
A Climate-Resilient Marine Spatial Plan will guide the protection and sustainable use of the Virgin Islands’ marine environment. It will define key zones for conservation, fisheries, recreation, and development—supporting climate resilience while enabling a balanced blue economy.
Introduction
Coral reefs play a critical role in protecting The Virgin Islands’ coastline, supporting local fisheries and attracting the tourists that underpin our economy. For instance, Anegada’s Horseshoe Reef is the Caribbean's largest barrier coral reef (stretching 18 miles long) and the fourth largest in the world.
Coral reefs, however, face multiple threats and are in rapid decline including due to climate change impacts such as mass coral bleaching events and ocean acidification.
Lack of robust quantitative data on the state of the health of reefs hinders efforts to plan and implement reef restoration initiatives which are urgently needed.
The Impact
This comprehensive baseline assessment of coral reef health will form the basis for ongoing monitoring to systematically assess climate change and other impacts to reefs and to inform development of a comprehensive Reef Recovery Plan. Among other established parameters of reef health, the assessment will include the abundance and distribution of keystone and indicator species, especially Caribbean sea crabs, sea urchins and parrot fish.
The comprehensive Reef Recovery Plan will immediately follow the assessment and identify legislative, policy and detailed project interventions, such as coral reef nurseries, required to restore and maintain reef health in the context of climate change.
The Problem
Mass bleaching of Virgin Islands / Caribbean reefs
The Solution
Coral tree nurseries
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