In January 2019, coral reefs of the US Virgin Islands were faced with yet another threat. Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was present and spreading quickly throughout the territory. Natural resource managers jumped into action to create standard operating procedures and management plans in the face of this novel disturbance while researchers worked overtime to help inform decisions. Strike Team divers were dispatched to hand-treat diseased corals weekly to slow the spread. As the epidemic has gradually turned into an endemic, managers have now shifted their focus to protecting the resilience of current and future coral reefs around the territory. A database of highly susceptible species’ geocoordinates is maintained to keep track of the last survivors of the disease. Collaborative rescue missions are carried out to collect and bank fragments of these resilient colonies in the hopes of using their offspring for future restoration. USVI coral practitioners have created a ten-year restoration plan to bring reefs back to pre-disease level functionality. Diving into the outbreak, research, response challenges and successes, and the recovery plans for a disturbance such as disease provides insight to understanding the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs.

Primary Presenter: Courtney Tierney, US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (chtierne@eckerd.edu)

Authors:

Courtney Tierney, USVI DPNR CZM  (courtney.tierney@dpnr.vi.gov)