Virgin Islands Coral Reef

https://www.nps.gov/vicr/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Islands_Coral_Reef_National_Monument The Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument is located off Saint John, Virgin Islands. The clear waters surrounding Saint John support a diverse and complex system of coral reefs. The health of these reefs is closely tied to its component plants and animals as well as adjacent non-coral marine environments such as sandy bottoms, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. The monument includes 12,708 acres (51 km2) of federal submerged lands within the 3 mile (5 km) belt off Saint John, including Hurricane Hole and areas north and south of Saint John. Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument includes federal submerged lands within the 3-mile belt off the island of St. John. These waters support a diverse and complex system of coral reefs and other ecosystems such as shoreline mangrove forests and seagrass beds. Once on St. John, the only part of Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument accessible by land is in Hurricane Hole. To get to Hurricane Hole, follow route 10 from Cruz Bay to Estate Hermitage. The Monument extends eastward from Borck Creek to Haulover Bay along the southern shoreline of the Island. Just a sliver of the Monument touches the north shore. To the west of the Monument line is National Park waters, and to the east is territorial waters. Cruz Bay Visitor Center Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument Visitor Center is located in Cruz Bay. The Visitor Center is just a short, five minute walk (approximately two blocks) from the public ferry dock. Head north north on route 20. Parrot Fish Parrot Fish posing for the camera over several corals Parrot Fish posing for the camera over several corals Hurricane Hole Post 2017 storms Information on the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the recovery process of the mangroves and other habitats in Hurricane Hole. Boats washed ashore or sunk in Hurricane Hole during 2017 storms. The State of Our Reefs Post Irma Dr. Caroline Rogers and Jeff Miller gave presentations to the public on April 7, 2018. The presentations provided information on the damage caused to the coral reefs, marine life and mangroves in the Virgin Islands National Park and Coral Reef National Monument. Find out here what is recovering and what may not. Mangroves Recovery Unique Coral Community in the Mangroves of Hurricane Hole Corals do not typically thrive in mangrove environments. However, corals are growing on and near the prop roots of red mangrove trees in Hurricane Hole, an area within the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument under the protection of the US Park Service in St. John, US Virgin Islands. This review summarizes current knowledge of the remarkable biodiversity of this area. Red Mangroves in Hurricane Hole Boy Scouts Explore Park through Sailing Program Every Friday morning this summer, a troop of slightly weary but content boy scouts arrive at the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center, led by Captain Bryan Barnes. This is the concluding day of the scouts’ weeklong sailing trip around St. John, and the last stop before they return to St. Thomas for their flight home. Boy Scouts sailing the Virgin Island National Park Uniforms for the Caribbean Did you know that employees from across the National Park Service stepped up to help their fellow employees after hurricanes hit the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico? In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest known hurricanes in the Atlantic, lashed the Caribbean and Florida. It was followed within days by Hurricane Maria, another devastating hurricane that also hit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, among other places. Boxes line a hallway awaiting shipment to parks in the Caribbean. Photo by Kristine Brunsman Maritime Heritage at the Virgin Islands Based on archival research, several hundred shipwrecks are thought to be in the waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many ships wrecked on reefs and rocks. Many others were lost during hurricanes, the great tsunami of 1867, and other natural disasters. Other ships were attacked during times of war or inter-European rivalries to keep colonies from prospering. Commercial boat at St. Thomas