Ecology of coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands

By: , and 
Edited by: Bernhard Riegl and Richard E. Dodge

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Abstract

The US Virgin Islands (USVI ) in the northeastern Caribbean, consist of St. Croix (207 km2), St. Thomas (83 km2), St. John (52 km2) and numerous smaller islands (Dammann and Nellis 1992). They are part of the Lesser Antilles and Leeward Islands on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean plate (Fig. 8.1). An extensive platform underlies St. Thomas and St. John and connects these islands to Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. This platform extends about 32 km north of the islands and then slopes gradually to depths of over 300 m and eventually descends into the 8,000 m deep Puerto Rican Trench. South of the islands, the platform extends about 13 km and then abruptly drops off to over 4,000 m. St. Croix, about 60 km to the south, is on a separate platform which is much shallower than the northern Virgin Islands’ platform and extends less than 5 km from shore except on the east end of the island. The deepest part of the Virgin Islands Trough that separates St. Thomas and St. John from St. Croix is 4,200 m.

Study Area

Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Ecology of coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands
Chapter 8
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4020-6847-8_8
Volume 1
Year Published 2008
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Southeast Ecological Science Center
Description 71 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Monograph
Larger Work Title Coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands
First page 303
Last page 373
Country United States
State Virgin Islands
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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