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Monday 08:00 - 16:00 Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00 Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00 Thursday 08:00 - 16:00 Friday 08:00 - 16:00

CWORI

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Coral Reef Restoration and Wildlife Conservation
St.

Thomas, USVI

Our mission is to conserve marine habitats and wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation, restoration, and research and to empower others through public education.

14/10/2026

Can you guess what our diver is doing? 📸

Photogrammetry! This is the way we monitor our coral outplants and general reef health.

To do this, divers swim over large areas of the reef taking continuous images. One plot produces thousands of high-resolution images, which are then transformed into a 3D model using advanced computer software. From there we can annotate a 2D photomosaic image so that every coral is outlined with species code/ color. Then individual corals can be compared over time to measure growth and health! 🪸

05/10/2026

Happy ! 🌊🪸🪶

Our mission goes beyond conservation, it’s about protection, rehabilitation, and community engagement. Whether we’re caring for rescued wildlife, maintaining our coral nurseries, or working alongside our island community to protect critical habitats, every day is an effort to give our local ecosystem a fighting chance.

How can you celebrate World Animal Day with us today?
* Pick up trash before it reaches the ocean
* Observe native birds, sea turtles, and other marine life from a respectful distance

Together, we can ensure a healthier home for all the creatures that make our islands so extraordinary!

25/09/2026

Recently, the wildlife rehabilitation team admitted a magnificent frigatebird that was brought in critical condition. Despite the best efforts of our wildlife rehabilitation staff, this impressive seabird unfortunately passed away.

Known as the “pirates of the sky” magnificent frigatebirds earn their reputation through a behavior called kleptoparasitism. With wingspans over 7 feet, they use sheer agility to chase down other seabirds in midair, forcing them to drop their fresh catch so the frigatebird can sn**ch it mid-flight!

While loss is a hard part of wildlife rehab, it serves as a powerful reminder of how deeply connected our marine ecosystems are. Frigatebirds rely on healthy fish stocks and active marine life to thrive. Practicing sustainable fishing such as following local catch limits, and properly disposing of monofilament line and hooks, helps protect vulnerable seabirds and ensures our ocean ecosystems remain for generations to come.

Thank you to our compassionate community for always alerting us to wildlife in distress and supporting CWORI’s mission. If you see a native bird in distress You can call us at +1 (340) 725-1556

17/09/2026

Check out some of CWORI’s first-ever outplants! 🌊🪸

These are Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) outplants in Leinster Bay, St. John, USVI. The biggest one being a foot tall and nearly two feet wide!

They were outplanted in October 2022, and we’re so thrilled to see them alive and thriving after facing two severe bleaching summers in 2023 and 2024. This gives us hope that successful restoration of resilient genotypes may help support the future of Elkhorn coral populations.

Elkhorn corals have been a vital reef-building species for thousands of years. Their wide, branching structure creates complex habitat for fish and other marine organisms while also helping to reduce the impacts of waves and storms.

Unfortunately, Elkhorn coral populations have experienced a severe collapse, declining by an estimated 97% since the 1980s (1). They are now considered functionally extinct across the Florida Reef Tract (2) and are critically endangered in the Caribbean.

This underscores how important restoration can be for declining coral populations, and we hope to see more of our outplants grow this much in the coming years!

(1) https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/elkhorn-coral
(2) https://www.perryinstitute.org/florida-coral-functional-extinction-science-study/

11/09/2026

Turns out caring about Virgin Island conservation never goes out of style… 💅 ❤️ 🪸 🤿🌎

Thanks to our partners who made these moments possible vi .usvi

03/09/2026

Ever wondered what baby corals look like? Check it out! 🔬

Here we have grooved brain coral babies (𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴)! These corals were given to us as larvae from (thanks guys!) about three months ago, and we are happy to say that we have almost 200 recruits!

Coral larvae are free-swimming until they find a place on the reef they’d like to live. They ‘settle’, and start growing into polyps! In these pictures you can see multiple coral polyps that have settled so close to each other they look like they’re growing into each other. This is actually a phenomena that we may see play out in real time called Chimerism. This is where two or more genetic individuals fuse together early in settlement. Coral chimeras can show enhanced resilience and increased growth rates!

Mendoza-Quiroz, S., Miller, M.W., Tecalco-Rentería, R. et al. Chimerism as a strategy to improve the resilience of boulder corals. Sci Rep 16, 1501 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-31525-w

Vidal-Dupiol J, Harscouet E, Shefy D, Toulza E, Rey O, Allienne JF, Mitta G, Rinkevich B. Frontloading of stress response genes enhances robustness to environmental change in chimeric corals. BMC Biol. 2022 Jul 26;20(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s12915-022-01371-7. PMID: 35879753; PMCID: PMC9316358.

27/08/2026

Happy National Dog Day from CWORI! 🐾🌊

Today, we are celebrating the incredible furry companions who bring us joy while we work to protect ecosystems! While our daily efforts at CWORI focus mostly on coral restoration, and protecting wildlife, we have endless gratitude for the power of dogs. From beloved household pets to conservation detection dogs working worldwide who use their incredible noses to track invasive species and protect wildlife.

Did you know!? Dogs sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than ours! Which makes them incredible for tracking down invasive or endangered species hidden in dense habitats.

Dogs remind us every day of the power of connection. They aren’t called “man’s best friend” for nothing! Whether your pup is an adventure buddy exploring hiking trails and beaches or a cozy foot blanket lounging at home, there are plenty of ways you and your dog can support conservation together!

* Keep dogs leashed while hiking or visiting beaches, especially in areas where sea turtles nest or native birds forage.
* Support local animal shelters & rescues if you’re looking to add a furry friend to your family or want to volunteer.

22/08/2026

Did you know the U.S. Virgin Islands is home to 6 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designed to protect and safeguard marine life? .vi

2 Locally-Managed MPAs
- St. Croix East End Marine Park: St. Croix’s first territorial park.
- St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER): Houses essential nursery habitats made up of mangroves, seagrass beds, and shallow reefs.

The 4 Federally-Managed MPAs
- Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix)
- Salt River Bay National Historic Park & Ecological Preserve (St. Croix)
- Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (St. John)
- Virgin Islands National Park (St. John)

How can you help protect reefs in the USVI?
- Practice responsible snorkeling: Never touch, kick, or stand on live coral.
- Use moorings: Always tie up to designated mooring buoys instead of dropping anchor on delicate reef beds.

Address

6450 Coki Pt
Charlotte Amalie
00802

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 16:00
Thursday	08:00 - 16:00
Friday	08:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+13407255104

Website

https://www.cwori.org/

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