CZM Letters – Environment

The proposed mega marina by the Summers End Group is literally in the heart of the Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.  As seen below, the red circle is Coral Bay harbor, with NPS lands on three sides, and Coral Reef NM waters to the south, east and west offshore of Coral Bay:

cora-reef-nm-map

The waters of Hurricane Hole are particularly precious and are featured in this slide show from the U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center:

http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Science_Feature_Archive/2010/mangrove_secret/standalone.swf

From the National Parks Service:  “The Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument is located in the submerged lands off the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island of St. John rises from a platform that extends several miles from shore before plunging to abyssal depths in the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. The platform contains a multitude of species that exist in a delicate balance, interlinked through complex relationships that have developed over tens of thousands of years.

The National Monument designation furthers the protection of the scientific objects included in the Virgin Islands National Parks. The monument contains all the elements of a Caribbean tropical marine ecosystem and several threatened and endangered species. Humpback whales, pilot whales, four species of dolphins, brown pelicans, roseate terns, least terns, and the hawksbill, leatherback, and green sea turtles all use portions of the monument.”

The Marina is harmful to the bay, the adjacent waters of Hurricane Hole, and to the life in it.  Letters were sent to CZM from accomplished professionals with first-hand knowledge of Coral Bay and its marine environment.  These authors include:

  • Mercedes Cover, Ocean Conservationist
  • Kirsten Maize, Environmental Scientist
  • Gary Ray, PhD
  • Kim Sammartano, Coral Bay Charter Owner
  • Clark Beam and Cathie Noonan, degree in Marine Science (Marine Biology, Oceanography and Ocean Chemistry)
  • Patrick Kennealy
  • Maya Pierce, Former Deckhand washing luxury boats
  • Louis Costello
  • Rafe Boulon, ???