Activities of the project include the purchase of resilience testing equipment, funding a training workshop on how to use this equipment, research of physiological indicators of thermal resilience,…

The Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs awarded $188,453.94 under CFDA 15.875 (Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories) to the Executive Office of the Government of the Virgin Islands, Division of Coastal Zone Management, for a coral reef resilience initiative in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The project, which commenced November 6, 2025, and will conclude September 30, 2029, centers on the procurement of resilience testing equipment, delivery of a territory-wide training workshop on equipment utilization, and research into physiological indicators of thermal resilience in coral species. A sub-award to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Division of Research & Innovation, dated April 17, 2026, supports training activities focused on Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) Chlorophyll Fluorometer technology.

The award generates multiple deliverables including standard operating procedures (SOPs) for coral resilience interventions, identification of local stressors compounding thermal stress effects, and capacity building across three partner organizations and territorial practitioners. Key outcomes encompass increased practitioner knowledge on coral resilience interventions, enhanced public awareness and stewardship regarding coral disturbance response efforts, and reduced local environmental stressors. Beneficiaries include the territorial government, residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands, local and commercial fishermen, and coral restoration organizations operating across the islands.

Activities of the project include the purchase of resilience testing equipment, funding a training workshop on how to use this equipment, research of physiological indicators of thermal resilience, and identifying local stressors which compound negative effects of thermal stress. This is a collaborative effort with three different organizations directly receiving funds and participation from all territory practitioners in the workshop. Outcomes from this project include increased capacity to improve coral reef resilience in the usvi and the creation of sops, decreased local stressors, and increase both practitioner knowledge on coral resilience intervention and public knowledge, awareness, and stewardship surrounding territorial coral disturbance response efforts. Beneficiaries include local government, residents of the usvi, local and commercial fishermen, and all organizations that participate in coral restoration.