The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Eastern Caribbean Center is collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to facilitate local surveying efforts on St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. The NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is engaging local surveyors to conduct a USVI-wide survey that will collect information on residents’ use of coral reefs and their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of coral reef ecosystems and coral reef management. It is part of a larger effort to improve coral reef conservation programs at local, regional, and national levels. Through the partnership, local hires will have the opportunity to be trained in social science surveying techniques and gain real-world research experience in the field.  

Household residents across the USVI will be randomly selected and invited to participate in the survey, which will be offered in English and Spanish. The survey should take no longer than 20 minutes and can be completed in-person or online. The goal is to survey over 550 USVI residents by the end of March 2025.  

The results from this survey will be instrumental in helping NOAA and the government of the USVI improve coral reef conservation and the services coral reef ecosystems provide for communities. “Participation in the survey is important so that the perspectives of all USVI residents are represented. Having broad representation in the survey is critical for equitable and effective conservation, as coral reef management depends on understanding how people interact with and depend upon these special ecosystems,” said Dr. Mary Allen, Lynker contractor in support of NOAA Office for Coastal Management and socioeconomic lead for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program.  

"Through this partnership, we aim to provide valuable insights into how USVI residents perceive and interact with coral reefs, ensuring that conservation efforts are aligned with community needs and priorities,” said Dr. Marissa Johnson Rogers, director of UVI’s Eastern Caribbean Center. “With similar efforts recently conducted in Puerto Rico, Guam, and CNMI, this initiative continues to build a comprehensive picture of how communities across U.S. coral reef jurisdictions value and depend on these ecosystems."   

This will be the second resident survey conducted in the USVI by NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. Results will provide critical insights into how social conditions have changed since the first survey was conducted in 2017. Participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential, but residents are encouraged to participate if invited. A more inclusive survey results in better quality information for use by managers of the USVI’s coral reefs and coastal communities.  

For more information about this project and participating in this survey if contacted, please see:  

https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/socioeconomic.html or contact: 

Eastern Caribbean Center of the University of the Virgin Islands: Dr. Marissa Johnson Rogers, mjohnso@uvi.edu   

NOAA: oceanservicepress@noaa.gov  

Socioeconomic lead for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program:  Mary Allen, Mary.Allen@noaa.gov  

For media inquiries, contact pr@uvi.edu.