What is the USVI TCRMP?
The TCRMP is a central component of coral reef management and research in the US Virgin islands. The TCRMP has contributed critical information on land-based sources of pollution, coral bleaching, and fisheries status since its inception in 2001. The program consists of annual to semi-annual assessments of coral health, benthic community structure, fish community structure, and physical dynamics at 33 sites down to 65 m (220 ft) depth.
The TCRMP is funded by and coordinated with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA Protected Species, and the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources and collaborates with the VI NSF-Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and NOAA National Marine Fisheries.
The objectives of the TCRMP include:
Monitor the status and trajectories of coral reefs across a majority of habitats and threats, including land-based sources of pollution and thermal stress
Link changes in coral reef health with specific stressors, indicating specific management interventions most effective for preserving reefs
Integrate assessments of understudied mesophotic coral reef ecosystems and threatened species in the USVI
Provide data, outputs, and advice to stakeholders and create a nexus of information in reef research
TCRMP locations in the northern USVI (St. Thomas, St. John - left) and St. Croix (right).