Exploring Macroalgae as Renewable Energy Source
The Takeaway: The cultivation of marine macroalgae, such as seaweed and kelp, could benefit both human energy needs and ocean ecology.
Learn MoreStates / U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
106,400*
Population
$1.5 Billion
Coastal Employment
Annual Wages
2
Climate and Weather Disasters
(Affecting U.S. Virgin Islands 2010 to 2018)*s
Coastal Demographics
The entire population of the U.S. Virgin Islands—106,400 people—lives in coastal portions of the territory.
Coastal Economy
The U.S. Virgin Islands employs over 37,000 people annually, earning a total of almost $1.5 billion.
Natural Hazards
Two billion-dollar weather disasters affected the U.S. Virgin Islands between 2010 and 2018. Hurricanes Irma and Maria both hit the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017. Before making landfall in the Florida Keys as a category 4 hurricane in early September, 2017, Irma devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands as a category 5 storm. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria struck St. Croix, causing further devastation to the ravaged islands.**
Coastal Resources
U.S. Virgin Islands’ coral reefs provide millions of dollars in protection to buildings and the local economy—over $47 million every year (this includes St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John).***
Sources:
American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates (NOAA Data)
*Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (NOAA Website)
**Report: Rigorously Valuing the Role of U.S. Coral Reefs in Coastal Hazard Risk Reduction (U.S. Geological Survey)
(All economic and demographic facts represent the latest data available [2015] and are regularly updated as new data become available)
Making a Difference
in U.S. Virgin Islands
NOAA Provides Assistance to Coastal Communities
The Takeaway: Some U.S. coastal communities have plentiful data for creating robust resilience plans. Others are struggling to catch up. NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is focused on providing equal access to the data, tools, and expertise they deserve.
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