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Four types of benthic marine habitats are depicted in the Virgin Islands atlas: 1) coral reefs, 2) hardbottoms, 3) seagrass beds, and 4) algae. These resources were mapped using a variety of data sources and methods. Geographic sources mainly included: digital Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) and similar data for St. John and St. Croix (draft) from the University of the Virgin Islands, Eastern Caribbean Center, Virgin Islands Conservation Data Center (VICDC); hardcopy Sediment Reduction Program "blue-line" habitat maps for St. Thomas provided by the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Coastal Zone Management (CZM) office (BC&E/CH2M Hill, 1979); and the digital Coastal Resource Atlas of the British Virgin Islands produced by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), Overseas Development Administration, provided by the BVI Conservation and Fisheries Department (CFD). Because coral reef and hardbottom habitats were not differentiated in the data provided by the VICDC for St. John and St. Croix, hardcopy maps provided by the USVI DPNR CZM office were used to identify the types of benthic features mapped. More detailed and specific information can be obtained by contacting the VICDC. In addition to these main sources, benthic habitat features were also depicted based on expert information or other hardcopy data sources. Coral reefs depicted in this atlas include the following features: coral patch reef, coral fringing reef, shelf-edge reef, etc. Shelf-edge reef was mapped as a separate category, but was combined with coral reef for depiction on the maps. Hardbottom habitats shown in this atlas include: carbonate pavement, hardground, soft coral substrate, rock reef, etc. Seagrass beds can include different species of seagrass, as well as mixed-species beds. Density or cover of seagrasses is not differentiated in this atlas. The algae category includes areas where macroalgae beds or calcareous algae predominate. In addition to the benthic habitats described above, St. Croix (and perhaps other areas) has several "algal ridges", which were too small to depict in this atlas. Algal ridges are important linear features oriented parallel to the shoreline and reef tract that occur just inshore of reef flats and Elkhorn coral reef zones. On the east end of St. Croix, the following algal ridges are present (listed west to east along the northern shore, and then east to west along the southern shore): Boiler Bay Ridge, Lamb Insipient Ridge, East Point Ridge, Isaac's Ridge, Jack Incipient Ridge, Beach Ridge, Robin Ridge, Robin Bay Incipient Ridges, Fancy Ridge, and Fancy Incipient Ridge. Other ridges may be present in other areas as well. | Description Source: Research Planning, Inc.

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