NCCOS has released a new study - 'Land-Sea Characterization of the St. Croix East End Marine Park" - that highlights the potential influence of land-based pollution on nearshore coral reef ecosystems and documents the diversity, condition, and composition of biological communities within the park. The findings support local management priority setting for conservation of coralreef ecosystems by identifying and mapping potential threats to coralreef health from land-based sources of pollution. The report will also helpmanagers and the local community develop a more detailed understandingof the types, variety, and condition of marine flora and fauna withinthe park. Partners on the project included the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, and The Nature Conservancy.
For more information contact Dan.Dorfman@noaa.gov.