The US virgin islands (usvi) are home to a unique freshwater fauna, with numerous fish and crustacean species of greatest conservation need (sgcns), including american EEL (anguilla rostrata)

Unfortunately, freshwater systems in the usvi are grossly understudied: there is currently zero quantitative information on the distribution or abundance of any freshwater species in this territory. This dearth of information causes all freshwater species in the usviincluding sgcnsto be listed as data deficient in the usvi wildlife action plan. This lack of information also inhibits conservation and management efforts of sgcns in the usvi. Meanwhile, these fragile ecosystems and their fauna are becoming increasingly threatened by numerous human activities. Among these threats, loss of connectivity to the ocean is among the most dire. Because most of the freshwater species spend some portion of their life cycle in the ocean (i.e. a diadromous or amphidromous life history), barriers restricting species movement between marine and freshwater environments cut off sgcns from critical habitat and choke out freshwater biodiversity in the usvi. For the proposed project, the US virgin islands department of planning and natural resources division of fish and wildlife (DFW) will subaward the southeastern association of fish and wildlife agencies - southeast aquatic resources partnership (sarp) to fill critical knowledge gaps and prioritize barriers for removal remediation across the usvi for three key tasks. Seafwa will work closely with clemson to complete the work. Objectives include assess 40 stream crossing for potential barriers, sarp personnel will conduct barrier assessment training workshops to train usvi, survey 40 sites for fish fauna andinstream habitat, with a focus on american EEL and data-deficient species, including the freshwater crab (epilobocera sinuatifrons) and create a freshwater connectivity plan for the usvi that includes ranked prioritizations of key barriers to be removed for improving habitat for a critical sgcn.