| Fast Facts |
location
40 miles east of Puerto Rico
ecoregions
Portions of Leeward Moist Forest, Leeward Xeric Scrub Forest, Lesser Antilles Mangroves
project size
3,500 square miles
preserves
Jack and Isaac Bays, Magens Bay Watershed Preserve, Water Island Coastal Preserve
public lands
St. John National Park, Salt River National Historical Park and Ecological Reserve, Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, Buck Island National Monument and Refuge, Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge, Magens Bay Watershed Preserve, East End St. Croix Marine Park
partners
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Virgin Islands government, British Virgin Islands government, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Environmental Association, St. John Land Trust, The Ocean Conservancy, British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust, Island Resource Foundation
conservancy initiatives
Invasive Species, Marine
natural events
Leatherback turtle nesting, April-June; hawksbill and green turtle nesting, July-October; spawning aggregations of grouper and snapper, full moons from December through June; migrating wood warblers and shorebirds, September-December | |
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| The Virgin Islands' tourism-based economy depends entirely upon a healthy environment, making conservation essential for local communities. |
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Trunk Bay, St. John.
© George H. H. Huey |
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The Virgin Islands rise from turquoise waters, their white sand beaches and mangroves giving way to forested ravines and arid mountainsides. These island gems were named by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage, a comparison to the legendary beauty of St. Ursula's 11,000 virgin martyrs.
Seven different European flags have flown over the islands at different times since Columbus's landing on St. Croix. Divided today between U.S. and British control, the Virgin Islands comprise nearly 90 islands and cays encircled by coral reefs and sea grass meadows, including one of the largest barrier reefs in the Western Hemisphere. The reefs bustles with myriad brilliantly colored fish such as parrotfish and blue tangs. Three species of endangered sea turtle - green, leatherback and hawksbill - also swim here, climbing up the beaches to dig holes in the sand and lay eggs. |
Green sea turtle.
© Doug Perrine/Peter Arnold, Inc. |
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Tourism is the number-one industry in the Virgin Islands today as travelers from around the globe seek a bit of paradise. Although vital to the local economy, heavy-handed tourism damages reefs and degrades marine and coastal waters; divers and boat anchors chip corals, and new development causes sediment erosion that degrades the reefs. | |
The Nature Conservancy is working with government partners to promote the islands' natural assets while minimizing impacts on local habitat and wildlife. Federal and national parks are being expanded, territorial parks are being created and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched a remarkably successful turtle recovery project. The Conservancy is also exploring the potential for ecotourism at our preserves. In one such program, small groups of tourists, guided by Conservancy researchers, may tour protected turtle nesting sites and view the hatchlings from a safe distance.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in the Virgin Islands. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
coral, mangroves, sea grass meadows, salt ponds, sea turtles, reef fish, spawning aggregations, intertidal rocky communities, tropical dry forest, tropical xeric scrub forest
stresses
upland development, overfishing, heavy marine recreation
strategies
designate marine and terrestrial protected areas, acquire land, secure conservation easements, engage community, promote compatible development, restore ecosystems
results
Salt River National Historical Park and Ecological Reserve created 1992, Magens Bay Watershed Preserve and East End St. Croix Marine Park created 2002 | | | | |
