On May 7-18, scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Southeast Fisheries Science Center led a multiagency field mission to conduct the most comprehensive visual fishery-independent characterization of fish and benthic communities around the island of St. Croix USVI to date.

The mission was funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and the information and data collected will serve as a baseline for territorial management decision-making. Additional contributions to this effort were field support from local dive shops, SCUBA, Dive Experience, Anchor Dive Center, and N2TheBlue.The mission included partners from across NOAA, the National Park Service, Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, University of the Virgin Islands, and the University of Miami.