United States Virgin Islands (USVI) 2025

NOAA CORAL REEF CONSERVATION PROGRAM

NATIONAL CORAL REEF MONITORING PROGRAM (NCRMP)

RESIDENT CORAL REEF SURVEY:

United States Virgin Islands (USVI) 2025

OMB CONTROL NUMBER 0648-0646

Survey administered in (circle one): English or Spanish

[SCRIPT 1]

Hello, my name is _________________, and I am working on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is conducting surveys with residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) to learn how people interact with coral reefs and how perceptions of coral reef conditions in the USVI are changing over time. The information collected will be used to help management better serve local communities. Your household was randomly selected to participate in this survey.

S1. Just one person is needed to complete this survey. May I please speak to the person 18 or older in your household who has had the most recent birthday? (Note: If selected person is not available, choose the next eligible person available).

• The person who answered the door is eligible  Continue to SCRIPT 2

• New individual comes to the door  Re-read SCRIPT 1 with new individual, then proceed to SCRIPT 2

• No eligible persons available  Proceed with “not available” protocol, thank the current individual, and end survey

• The person declines  Proceed with NR1

[SCRIPT 2]

The survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Your participation is voluntary, but is very important to the success of this study. You may skip any of the questions or stop the survey at any time. All information you provide is confidential. Your name and address will never be identified or associated with the results.

S2. Are you willing to participate in this survey?

• Yes (person agreed to be interviewed)  Continue to S3

• No (person did not agree to be interviewed)  Proceed with nonresponse question NR1

S3: On average, how many months per year do you live in the USVI?

• Fewer than 3 months a year End survey

• 3 to 6 months a year Start survey

• More than 6 months a year Start survey

NR1. Are there any particular reasons why you would prefer not to participate in the survey that

you would be willing to share?

• Yes  Allow respondent to comment and record reasons in NR2

• No  Thank the individual and end survey

NR2. [For Interviewer] Did the respondent make any of the following comments, whether or not these

exact words were used? (Check all that apply)

• I’m TOO BUSY/I don’t have time (If this is a reason, ask for a convenient time to interview)

• I DO NOT LIKE surveys

• I am NOT INTERESTED

• Surveys are a WASTE OF TIME

• I DON’T TRUST surveys

• Surveys are an INVASION OF PRIVACY

• Unfavorable PAST EXPERIENCE with surveys

• Other reason

NR3. [For Interviewer] Please record the following observations during your interaction with

the respondent.

1. Gender of respondent: ____Male ____Female

2. Age: ____18-29 ____30-49 ____50-69 ____70+

3. Race:

4. Presence of children in household

—BEGINNING OF SURVEY—

PARTICIPATION IN REEF ACTIVITIES

[SCRIPT] In this first section, we would like to understand your coastal and marine-based activities in the USVI.

1. In the past 12 months, approximately how often did you participate in each of these activities in the USVI? {supports ‘participation in reef activities’ indicator}

	Never	Once a month or less	2-3 times a month	4 times a month or more
Swimming or wading	1	2	3	4
Snorkeling	1	2	3	4
Scuba diving	1	2	3	4
Free diving	1	2	3	4
Waterside/beach camping	1	2	3	4
Beach recreation (beach sports, picnics, etc.)	1	2	3	4
Boating (sail, motor)	1	2	3	4
Paddling activities (stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, etc.)	1	2	3	4
Surfing activities (surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, etc.)
Fishing from a boat or other vessel	1	2	3	4
Fishing from shore (including from a pier or dock)	1	2	3	4
Gathering of marine resources (lobsters, whelk, conch, octopus, seaweed, shells, etc.)	1	2	3	4

• SKIP LOGIC: IF RESPONDENT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITIES (NEVER FOR ALL), SKIP TO Q4.

2. Please look at the map of the USVI and the boundaries of each zone. Which zone did you most often use for each activity? {supports ‘participation in reef activities’ indicator}

(SHOW RESPONDENT APPROPRIATE MAP)

or

Depending on island of residence

• SKIP LOGIC: IF RESPONDENT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ‘FISHING’ OR ‘GATHERING’, SKIP TO Q4.

	Zone A	Zone B	Zone C	Zone D	Zone E	Zone F	Check here if did not participate
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Swimming or wading
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Snorkeling
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Scuba diving
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Free diving
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Waterside/beach camping
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Beach recreation (beach sports, picnics, etc.)
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Boating (sail, motor)
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Paddling activities (stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, etc.)
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Surfing activities (surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, etc.)
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Fishing from a boat or other vessel
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Fishing from shore (including from a pier or dock)
[ASK IF POSITIVE VALUE IN Q1] Gathering of marine resources (lobsters, whelk, conch, octopus, seaweed, shells, etc.)

3. Which of the following best describes your most common motivation for fishing and gathering? (Choose one). {supports ‘participation in reef activities’ indicator}

1. Recreational: I fish mostly for sport or pleasure, but may also sell a few fish.

2. Subsistence: I fish mostly to catch fish to feed myself, my family, and/or my community.

3. Commercial: I fish mostly for some or all of the money I make in one year.

4. Cultural: I fish mostly to keep traditional practices alive.

IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS

[SCRIPT] For the next several questions, we would like to understand your household’s reliance on seafood and the cultural importance of coral reefs in the USVI.

4. On average, how many of the meals eaten by you or members of your household include seafood? –INTERVIEWER STATES SCALE {supports ‘cultural importance of reefs’ indicator}

None of the meals (0%)	Some of the meals (1-33%)	Many of the meals (34-66%)	Most of the meals (67-99%)	All of the meals (100%)
1	2	3	4	5

• SKIP LOGIC: IF ‘NONE OF THE MEALS’, SKIP TO Q6.

5. On average, how many of the meals eaten by you or members of your household include seafood from local coral reefs in the USVI? (Examples include reef fish such as parrotfish, triggerfish, snapper, and grouper and other shellfish and marine life that depend on coral reefs such as lobster and conch. This does not include pelagic fish such as mahi, tuna, and wahoo.) {supports ‘cultural importance of reefs’ indicator}

None of the meals (0%)	Some of the meals (1-33%)	Many of the meals (34-66%)	Most of the meals (67-99%)	All of the meals (100%)	Not Sure
1	2	3	4	5	NS

6. How important are coral reefs to each of the following in the USVI? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘cultural importance of reefs’ indicator}

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very Important	Not Sure
Culturally important events, such as feasts and ceremonies	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Establishing and maintaining cultural and familial ties	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Ancestral connections	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Religious practices	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Local language (word choice, business and place names, etc.)	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Cultural folklore (beliefs, stories, etc.)	1	2	3	4	5	NS

PERCEIVED RESOURCE CONDITION

[SCRIPT] This next section will ask about marine resource importance and their conditions.

7. How important are each of these marine resources to your quality of life? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘perceived resource condition’ indicator}

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very Important
Ocean water quality	1	2	3	4	5
Amount of live coral	1	2	3	4	5
Amount of fish	1	2	3	4	5
Health of coral reefs	1	2	3	4	5
Amount of lobster	1	2	3	4	5

8. How would you rate the current condition of each of these marine resources in the USVI? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘perceived resource condition’ indicator}

	Very Bad	Somewhat Bad	Neither Bad nor Good	Somewhat Good	Very Good	Not Sure
Ocean water quality	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of live coral	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of fish	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Health of coral reefs	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of lobster	1	2	3	4	5	NS

9. Over the next 10 years, how do you think the condition of each of these same marine resources will change in the USVI? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘perceived resource condition’ indicator}

	Worsen Greatly	Worsen Somewhat	No Change	Improve Somewhat	Improve Greatly	Not Sure
Ocean water quality	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of live coral	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of fish	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Health of coral reefs	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of lobster	1	2	3	4	5	NS

AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF REEFS AND REEF THREATS

[SCRIPT] This next section will ask about reef awareness and importance in the USVI.

10. How important are coral reefs in the USVI to each of the following? -INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘awareness and knowledge of reefs’ indicator}

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very Important	Not Sure
Protection from natural disasters	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Outdoor recreation	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Food for coastal communities	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Tourism-based economy	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Fishery-based economy	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Your livelihood	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Human health	1	2	3	4	5	NS

11. Which of the following do you believe are threats to coral reefs in the USVI?

	Yes – This is a threat to coral reefs	No – This is not a threat to coral reefs	Not Sure – I am not sure if this is a threat to coral reefs
Climate change	1	2	NS
Coral bleaching	1	2	NS
Hurricanes	1	2	NS
Pollution from stormwater, wastewater, and chemical runoff	1	2	NS
Marine litter	1	2	NS
Invasive species	1	2	NS
Overfishing and overgathering	1	2	NS
Boat anchoring and grounding	1	2	NS
Ocean acidification	1	2	NS
Divers and snorkelers	1	2	NS
Coral disease	1	2	NS
Island development and construction	1	2	NS

SKIP LOGIC: IF ‘YES’ TO ANY ITEM, ASK ABOUT EACH ITEM IN Q12.

IF ‘NO’ OR ‘NOT SURE’ WITH ALL ITEMS, SKIP TO Q13

12. How severe are each of these threats to coral reefs in the USVI? –INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘awareness and knowledge of reefs’ indicator}

	Minor Threat	Moderate Threat	Major Threat	Severe Threat	Not Sure
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Climate change	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Coral bleaching	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Hurricanes	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Pollution from stormwater, wastewater, and chemical runoff	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Marine litter	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Invasive species	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Overfishing and overgathering	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Boat anchoring and grounding	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Ocean acidification	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Divers and snorkelers	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Coral disease	2	3	4	5	NS
[ASK IF ‘YES’ IN Q11] Island development and construction	2	3	4	5	NS

ATTITUDES TOWARD CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

[SCRIPT] There are many different management strategies for protecting coral reefs in the USVI. In the next few questions, we are interested in your opinions on some of these strategies.

13. A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is an area of the ocean, such as reserves and marine parks, where particular human activities are managed to protect living, non-living, cultural, and/or historic resources. Before today, were you aware of existing MPAs in the USVI? {supports ‘awareness of reef regulations’ indicator}

1. Yes (IF YES, GO TO Q14)

2. No (IF NO, SKIP TO Q15)

14. How do you think the establishment of MPAs impacted the following in the USVI? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘attitudes toward reef management strategies’ indicator}

	Worsened Greatly	Worsened Somewhat	No Impact	Improved Somewhat	Improved Greatly	Not Sure
Protection of coral reefs	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Amount of fish	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Tourism-based economy	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Fishery-based economy	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Your livelihood	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Outdoor recreation	1	2	3	4	5	NS
Food for coastal communities	1	2	3	4	5	NS

15. Next, how much do you oppose or support each of these management strategies to protect coral reefs in the USVI? – INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘attitudes toward reef management strategies’ indicator}

	Strongly Oppose	Somewhat Oppose	Neutral	Somewhat Support	Strongly Support
Establish new catch limits per person for certain fish species	1	2	3	4	5
Create new MPAs	1	2	3	4	5
Establish new requirements for improved wastewater treatment	1	2	3	4	5
Encourage community participation in the management of marine resources	1	2	3	4	5
Charge a small fee to non-residents visiting locally managed MPAs to fund conservation	1	2	3	4	5
Increase mooring availability to limit boat anchoring	1	2	3	4	5
Increase enforcement of restrictions on construction practices to prevent sediment runoff	1	2	3	4	5
Impose a license requirement and fee for recreational fishers	1	2	3	4	5

PARTICIPATION IN BEHAVIORS THAT MAY IMPROVE CORAL HEALTH

[SCRIPT] Now, we’ll talk about some activities that can help protect coral reef ecosystems in the USVI.

16. How important is it for the USVI residents to participate in actions that help to protect coral reefs? {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

Not at all Important	Slightly Important	Somewhat Important	Moderately Important	Very Important
1	2	3	4	5

17. Do you routinely participate in any of these actions? {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

Yes No

1. Reduce household water use  

2. Reduce household electricity use  

3. Compost  

4. Recycle (plastic, metal, glass)  

5. Use reef-safe forms of sun protection  

6. Promote environmentally responsible practices with others  

7. Minimize fuel consumption  

8. Use fewer single use products (plastic bags or cups, Styrofoam, etc.)  

• SKIP PATTERN: IF ‘YES’ FOR ALL ITEMS, SKIP TO Q19.

IF ‘NO’ FOR ANY ITEM, ASK ABOUT EACH ITEM IN Q18.

18. Why do you not participate in those actions routinely? (Check all that apply). {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

	I do not know how	It is not convenient	It is too expensive	I have not had the opportunity	None of these reasons
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Reduce household water use
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Reduce household electricity use
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Compost
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Recycle (plastic, metal, glass)
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Use reef-safe forms of sun protection
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Promote environmentally responsible practices with others
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Minimize fuel consumption
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q17] Use fewer single use products (plastic bags or straws, Styrofoam, etc.)

19. In the past 12 months, have you done any of these actions? {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

Yes No

1. Donated to an environmental cause  

2. Volunteered in a beach or coastal clean-up  

3. Joined or renewed a membership in a conservation organization  

4. Participated in an environmental science or restoration activity (such as
   coral reef health reports, tree or mangrove planting, or sea turtle beach
   monitoring)  

• SKIP PATTERN: IF ‘YES’ FOR ALL ITEMS, SKIP TO Q21.

IF ‘NO” FOR ANY ITEM, ASK ABOUT EACH ITEM IN Q20.

20. Why have you not participated in those actions in the past 12 months? (Check all that apply) {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

	I do not know how	It is not convenient	It is too expensive	I have not had the opportunity	None of these reasons
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q19] Donated to an environmental cause
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q19] Volunteered in a beach or coastal clean-up
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q19] Joined or renewed a membership in a conservation organization
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q19] Participated in a science or restoration activity (such as coral reef health reports, tree or mangrove planting, or sea turtle beach monitoring)

21. In the past 5 years, have you done any of these actions on your property? {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

Yes No

1. Upgraded a septic system  

2. Installed or upgraded a water storage system (such as a
   cistern or holding tank)  

3. Installed or upgraded stormwater or erosion control practices  

• SKIP PATTERN: IF ‘YES’ FOR ALL ITEMS, SKIP TO Q23.

IF ‘NO’ FOR ANY ITEM, ASK ABOUT EACH ITEM IN Q22.

22. Why have you not participated in those actions on your property in the past 5 years? (Check all that apply). {supports ‘pro-environmental behaviors’ indicator}

	I do not know how	It is not convenient	It is too expensive	My system is already up to date	I am not allowed to	None of these reasons
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q21] Upgraded a septic system
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q21] Installed or upgraded a water storage system (such as a cistern or holding tank)
[ASK IF ‘NO’ IN Q21] Installed or upgraded stormwater or erosion control practices

23. The rules and regulations surrounding coral reefs are sometimes misunderstood. How unacceptable or acceptable are each of these practices in the USVI?– INTERVIEWER REPEATS SCALE AS NEEDED {supports ‘awareness of reef regulations’ indicator}

	Very Unacceptable	Somewhat Unacceptable	Neutral	Somewhat Acceptable	Very Acceptable
Operate a jet ski or similar watercraft in a shallow reef area	1	2	3	4	5
Leave trash on the beach	1	2	3	4	5
Anchor a boat on coral	1	2	3	4	5
Feed marine animals (mammals, fish, sea birds, etc.)	1	2	3	4	5
Touch corals with my hands or feet (including standing)	1	2	3	4	5
Take seashells or coral from the reef	1	2	3	4	5
Take seashells, coral, or sand from the beach	1	2	3	4	5
Harvesting resources in MPAs	1	2	3	4	5
Driving on the beach	1	2	3	4	5

DEMOGRAPHICS

[SCRIPT] I just have a few more questions that will help us to interpret our results. As a reminder, the information you provide will remain strictly confidential.

24. What is your gender? (Select all that apply)

 Female

 Male

 Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

 Prefer not to answer

25. In what year were you born? ___________

26. Were you born in the USVI?

 Yes

 No

27. How many years have you lived in the USVI? ___________ Years

28. What is your race and/or ethnicity? (Select all that apply and enter additional details in the spaces below)

 American Indian or Alaska Native – Provide details below.
Enter, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, Aztec, Maya, etc. _______________________________________________

 Asian – Provide details below.
 Chinese  Asian Indian  Filipino  Vietnamese  Korean  Japanese

• Enter, for example, Pakistani, Hmong, Afghan, etc. _______________________________

 Black or African American – Provide details below.

 African American  Jamaican  Haitian  Nigerian  Ethiopian  Somali

• Enter, for example, Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Ghanaian, Congolese, etc. ___________

 Hispanic or Latino – Provide details below.

 Mexican  Puerto Rican  Salvadoran  Cuban  Dominican  Guatemalan

• Enter, for example, Colombian, Honduran, Spaniard, etc. __________________________

 Middle Eastern or North African – Provide details below.

 Lebanese  Iranian  Egyptian  Syrian  Iraqi  Israeli

• Enter, for example, Moroccan, Yemeni, Kurdish, etc. ______________________________

 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander – Provide details below.

 Native Hawaiian  Samoan  Chamorro Tongan  Fijian  Marshallese

• Enter, for example, Chuukese, Palauan, Tahitian, etc. _____________________________

 White – Provide details below.

 English  German  Irish  Italian  Polish  Scottish

• Enter, for example, French, Swedish, Norwegian, etc. _____________________________

29. Do you speak a language other than English at home?

 Yes

 No

30. What is the highest level of education you have completed? (Choose one)

• 8th Grade or Less

• Some high school

• High School Graduate, GED

• Technical/trade school certification

• Some college or community college

• Associate’s degree

• College Graduate

• Graduate School, Law School, Medical School

31. What is your current employment status? (Check all that apply).

    • Unemployed

    • Employed full time

    • Employed part time

    • Retired

32. Is your current or most recent occupation related to one or more of the following? (Check all that apply). {demographic question for variable weighting and livelihood contextualization in Q10}

    • Commercial fishing

    • Outdoor recreation

    • Tourism

    • Not related to any of the above

33. How many adults aged 18 years or older live in your household, including yourself? _______

34. What is your annual household income?

• Less than $10,000

• $10,000-$14,999

• $15,000-$24,999

• $25,000-$34,999

• $35,000-$49,999

• $50,000-$74,999

• $75,000-$99,999

• $100,000-$149,999

• $150,000-$199,999

• $200,000 or more

• No Response

Thank you for your time and contribution to this research!

If you have any questions or comments about the research,

please contact Mary Allen at [email protected].

For more information about the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program

or to see the results of the survey, please visit https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/socioeconomic.html.

We hope to have results ready by the end of 2026.

ID Number: _______

16