Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

‘Strike Team’ formed to tackle destructive Coral Disease in VI

‘Strike Team’ formed to tackle destructive Coral Disease in VI

The Government of the Virgin Islands has responded to the threat of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the territory by forming a 'Strike Team' to tackle the disease.

According to the Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), his ministry and the National Parks Trust (NPT) of the Virgin Islands are pleased to work closely with local dive operators and marine experts to tackle the coral disease.

Minister Wheatley, according to a Government Information Service (GIS), explained that the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is a lethal coral disease that has the potential to kill half of the stony coral species in the [British] Virgin Islands.


National Parks Trust Director Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal said, 'Coral reefs provide the Territory with various ecological services on which we depend on including, diving, snorkeling, beaches, coastal protection, safe waters, and seafood.

Strike Team


Since its discovery in the Virgin Islands late 2019, the Government of the Virgin Islands through the ministry and the NPT has been leading the charge in treating the disease as part of a ‘Strike Team’. The ‘Strike Team’ was established by Honourable Wheatley to tackle what he terms “a coral crisis”. The team’s aim is to prevent the disease from spreading and to mitigate its effects on the Territory’s valuable coral reefs.

“Mitigating the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is of utmost importance; if we do not safeguard our reefs then we will indeed have a coral crisis,” Honourable Wheatley said.

“This Government has significantly invested resources. Together as a people, we must do our part to ensure prosperity not only for ourselves but for our people for generations to come,” he said.

Minister Wheatley stressed, “If we do not use every resource at our disposal to prevent this disease from spreading in our waters then we will lose one of our most important ecosystems and tourist attractions, which will be detrimental to our livelihoods and our way of life.”

He added that the Government of the Virgin Islands welcomes the ‘Strike Team’ collaboration led by officers within the ministry and NPT.

He said that this focus will enable local dive operators to monitor and treat the disease and also provide awareness education to the community as a whole.

National Parks Trust Director Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal said, “Coral reefs provide the Territory with various ecological services on which we depend on including, diving, snorkeling, beaches, coastal protection, safe waters, and seafood. The value of the Territory’s 267 km2 of coral reefs was evaluated at USD$194,691,000.00 in 2016 by an international body. The funds granted by the Governor’s Office complement the contributions by Government and the Trust and will allow NPT and the Strike Team to do our part in conserving and protecting the BVI’s marine environment for locals and tourist alike.”

Collaboration on financing


The Minister shared that the Government of the Virgin Islands, the NPT and Governor’s Office are financing in part the response to the disease.

“This approach will greatly increase the Virgin Islands’ capacity to tackle the disease in our waters, as once treatment has been applied, the disease’s impact is mitigated,” Minister Wheatley further explained.

The programme feeds into the National Parks Trust’s overarching plan to gather more data on infected reefs in the Territory as well as wider regional transmission patterns.

The Governor’s Office is supporting the effort by providing a $75,000 grant to the trust.

His Excellency the Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert said, “I am very pleased to support this important initiative with UK funds. A cross-community approach is the only way to stop this disease from having disastrous effects on our coral and the industries that depend on it. I was also pleased to see the UK Government commit new funds to support the Overseas Territories biodiversity in the most recent UK budget. I hope through collaboration and determination, we can make a difference.”

The Virgin Islands coral reefs are home to a wide variety of marine life and play an essential role in protecting against erosion and natural disasters. They also hold significant economic value and provide jobs and income for the tourism and fisheries industries.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×