On July 8-19, scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center joined researchers from the National Park Service, the University of the Virgin Islands, the University of Miami, and the Nature Conservancy to conduct the first National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan biological surveys of fish and sea floor communities in the Caribbean. The field mission, initiated by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, focused on coral reefs and other hard bottom habitats in the waters surrounding St. Thomas and St. John, USVI.This is part of a larger, national effort to conduct surveys in Puerto Rico, the Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, the main and northwestern Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa and the Mariana Islands to provide information on fish and coral populations and habitat conditions within and outside managed areas. For addition information on the field mission, please contact Randy Clark ( randy.clark@noaa.gov ).