HERPETOLOGY OF TORTOLA; NOTES ON ANEGADA AND VIRGIN GORDA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Homotrema rubrum (Lamarck) taphonomy as an overwash indicator in Marine Ponds on Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Marine hypersaline ponds on Anegada, British Virgin Islands contain stratigraphic evidence (Shell and Sand Sheet) of a A.D. 1650–1800 overwash event that could have formed through a hurricane or tsunami. Candidates for the deposit include far-field (e.g. 1755 Lisbon tsunami) and local Puerto Rico Trench events (e.g. 1690), but hurricanes cannot be ignored. The goal of this study is to provide a...

High rates of growth recorded for hawksbill sea turtles in Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Management of species of conservation concern requires knowledge of demographic parameters, such as rates of recruitment, survival, and growth. In the Caribbean, hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have been historically exploited in huge numbers to satisfy trade in their shells and meat. In the present study, we estimated growth rate of juvenile hawksbill turtles around Anegada, British...

Phytosociology of Vascular Plants on an International Biosphere Reserve: Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, US Virgin Islands

—We investigated the relationships of vegetation communities to environmental variables and compared the relative contribution of native and introduced species in extant forest communities on St. John, US Virgin Islands, using an island-wide forest vegetation inventory and monitoring network of permanent plots. We detected 2,415 individuals of 203 species, 5 percent of which were introduced. Cl...

Comparison of Fish Assemblages and Water Quality in Two Marinas in the British Virgin Islands

Variable hydrology and salinity of salt ponds in the British Virgin Islands

Caribbean salt ponds are unique wetlands that have received little scientific attention. They are common features of dry Caribbean coastlines, but they are threatened by rapid coastal development. We compared hydrology and salinity of 17 salt ponds in the British Virgin Islands. Ponds were mostly hypersaline (>50 ppt), and they exhibited dramatic salinity fluctuations in response to rainfall an...