REEF ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH
Coral Reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Coral reefs are the foundational marine ecosystem around the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing shoreline protection, habitat for fish and other organisms, and generating millions of dollars a year in tourism.
U.S.V.I. reefs have experienced repeated disturbances that have shifted reef communities and reduced coral cover over time, including severe hurricane impacts, disease outbreaks, and mass bleaching events. These changes have altered the structure and composition of reef ecosystems across the region, raising important questions about how reefs function as conditions continue to change.
VICAR’s reef research explores whether altered reefs can remain stable and functional, and what biological and environmental drivers shape those outcomes. This work examines reefs as “novel ecosystems”, communities that may differ from historical conditions but still perform important ecological roles, such as providing habitat, supporting fisheries, and protecting coastlines. VICAR also aims to accelerate research and monitoring by automating key steps in the traditional investigation process.
A Multi-Scale Approach to Studying Coral Reefs
The research is organized into five integrated studies which examine reefs across multiple scales. These include analyzing long-term change using monitoring video, documenting present-day reef structure through AUV-based 3D “snapshots,” tracking individual coral colonies over time, quantifying non-coral organisms such as sponges and octocorals, and mapping interactions among benthic groups on the seafloor.
Together, these studies are also helping build VICARIUS tools and training datasets.
Annual surveys are planned at 31 long-term Territorial Coral Reef Monitoring Program sites across all three islands, spanning depth and reef type. AUVs collect imagery along repeatable transects, supporting 3D model creation and more detailed measurements of reef structure and composition.
This work links long-term reef monitoring with new automation so the Territory can track changes faster and with consistent methods across sites and years.
