Bringing new life to the reefs of the U.S. Virgin Islands through hands-on coral restoration, community outreach and education, and science-based solutions.
Reef Response is the University of the Virgin Islands’ coral restoration program, dedicated to protecting and rebuilding the vibrant coral reefs of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Our team works to increase coral abundance and biodiversity while engaging and empowering the local community to take part in restoring the health of our oceans.
Our mission is to bring new life to our reefs through hands-on coral restoration, inspire stewardship through education and citizen science, and lead with science-based solutions that ensure our reefs thrive for generations to come.
A short introduction to the program: who we are, and what restoring a reef actually looks like.
Coral restoration works to rebuild the abundance, diversity, and resilience of reef-building corals, through methods that grow and nurture corals in both land-based and in-water nurseries.
At Reef Response, we focus on “opportunity corals” — fragments that have naturally broken off the reef and would otherwise die. These corals are carefully collected, grown, and propagated in our nurseries before being transplanted back onto the reef, where they continue to grow and restore reef structure and health.
This is a single outplanted colony of fused staghorn (Acropora prolifera), photographed on the same reef from 2022 to 2025. Drag the photo or the slider to move through time.
Successful coral restoration programs share several key elements. Ours runs on all five, year-round.
Structures that hold the growing corals must be cleaned regularly to avoid overgrowth of algae, sponges, tunicates, barnacles, and other organisms. Sick corals must be removed or treated to prevent the spread of disease in the nursery.
Coral fragments in both in-water and land-based nurseries are monitored for growth, mortality, and health indicators, including disease, predation, and bleaching. This tells us which coral species and genotypes are the best growers and survivors.
Once nursery corals reach an appropriate size, they are “out-planted” onto coral reefs in need of restoration: divers on SCUBA attaching the fragments to the reef using cement or underwater epoxy.
Outplanted corals are monitored regularly to track growth, mortality, and health indicators. We use this information to inform our decisions for future outplanting.
Community awareness and involvement is an essential part of coral restoration. Reef Response involves community members through our citizen science program, and raises awareness through presentations and public events. See our outreach →
of the seafloor is coral reef — yet it shelters more than a quarter of all marine life
of all fisheries species depend on reefs for at least one stage of life
of wave energy can be absorbed by healthy hard corals, shielding our shorelines
of USVI economic activity is protected from storm-related flooding by coral reefs
generated globally each year by reef-related tourism
Storm-flooding figure: Storlazzi et al. 2019.
The U.S. Virgin Islands’ economy, well-being, and culture are deeply intertwined with the health of our coral reef ecosystems.
Tourism and fisheries, the two main pillars of the local economy, depend on thriving reefs that support abundant marine life and vibrant underwater landscapes. Reefs also serve as natural barriers, protecting our shorelines from hurricanes, tropical storms, and coastal flooding. Beyond their economic and ecological importance, coral reefs are woven into the cultural fabric of the U.S. Virgin Islands, shaping traditions, livelihoods, and our connection to the sea.
Coral reefs represent some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Although they account for less than 1% of the seafloor, coral reefs harbor more than a quarter of all marine life. Local fisheries depend on reef structure to provide homes for commercially important species. Roughly half of all fisheries species depend on coral reefs for at least one segment of their life cycle.
Coral reefs are nature’s first line of defense against the sea, protecting coastlines from wave action, erosion, and flooding, especially during powerful storms. Hard corals can dissipate and absorb up to 97% of wave energy. By causing waves to break offshore, reefs help safeguard coastal communities and ecosystems.
The beauty and biodiversity of coral reefs make them one of the world’s most valuable natural attractions, supporting everything from diving and snorkeling to beach recreation, fresh local seafood, and calm waters for boating. Globally, reef-related tourism is estimated to generate $36 billion each year.
From a handful of coral trees off Flat Cay, through two Category 5 hurricanes, to four nurseries across two islands.
The Nature Conservancy establishes the first coral nurseries on St. Thomas, with anchors for up to 20 coral “trees” at Flat Cay and West Cay, plus a demonstration tree at Coral World.
Students from UVI’s Master of Marine and Environmental Science program intern with TNC personnel, assisting with nursery maintenance and outplanting. Between 2014 and 2017, TNC and MMES outplant more than 12,100 Acropora cervicornis colonies around St. Thomas.
TNC personnel reductions lead to the transfer of the St. Thomas nurseries to the University of the Virgin Islands. The nurseries are consolidated to 10 trees across two main sites, with plans for UVI to host one of TNC’s coral restoration “Innovation Centers.”
Two Category 5 hurricanes strike the territory within two weeks of each other, devastating the nurseries along with the reefs around them.
MMES interns Alex Gutting and Kristen Ewen assess the damage. Flat Cay: two A. cervicornis trees and 20 live corals. West Cay: seven trees and 13 live corals, consolidated onto a single tree. Overall, 33 of roughly 1,200 corals survived — about 2%.
Recovery and expansion begin at Flat Cay and West Cay, led by the effort to rebuild what the storms took.
The first VI Reef Response community dive runs with Red Hook Divers: 100% USVI residents, contributing more than 200 person-hours. The citizen science program is born.
The land-based nursery is established with funding from the Spruance Foundation and an anonymous donor, originally targeting A. palmata, Orbicella spp. and Dendrogyra. Microfragmentation begins the same year: corals cut onto cement pucks of 2–5 cm, and onto “coral cones” and “coral domes.” The species list expands as stony coral tissue loss disease reaches St. Thomas.
Working with the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, we complete the territory’s first artificial reef — 187 marine-grade concrete modules, 23,500 lbs in all, arranged in the shape of a Taíno double-spiral petroglyph. See the project →
We launch Corals in the Classroom, a four-lesson coral reef curriculum for high school students, at Charlotte Amalie High School. About the program →
Reef Response runs in-water nurseries at Flat Cay, Great St. James, Lovango Cay and UVI, alongside the land-based nursery. At Lovango Cay, the Rescue to Reef project divides the site into rescue, research and restore zones. The restored zone alone now holds 1,500+ corals across 15+ species, including four listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Whether you report what you see on the water, partner with us, or support the work directly, you help make the next outplanting possible.
