Ghuts, Grit, and Gills: Aquatic Data Synthesis for Climate Adaptation in the US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands are vulnerable to sea level rise, intense storms, and unpredictable rainfall brought by climate change. These changes influence the health of freshwater streams (known as “ghuts”), sedimentation, erosion and water quality (“grit”), as well as aquatic communities and ecosystems (“gills”) that are unique to the islands and important for indigenous peoples’ heritage, local fishermen, tourism, and more. However, the US Virgin Islands have limited water resource data, and the data that exist are scattered across sources, creating an obstacle for adapting water management strategies.
Preparing for and responding to climate change requires understanding the threats, priorities, solutions, and funding opportunities, and identifying partners who can provide leadership and action. This project brings together stakeholders to assess data availability and to identify critical knowledge gaps needed to inform science-based decisions. The project team will draft a “Virgin Islands Water and Climate Needs Assessment” that outlines actionable steps to address data needs, identify funding sources, recommend responsible parties, and set timelines to document progress.
Three key outcomes of this project will be: 1) A shared vision among Virgin Island stakeholders to plan for and respond to climate change threats; 2) A road map for communicating priority data needs to local, state, and federal partners, and for measuring progress, and; 3) A working group to build on collective partner strengths, complement ongoing initiatives, and minimize duplication of efforts.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ebb6d34e7eb9eb7d6d56)
The US Virgin Islands are vulnerable to sea level rise, intense storms, and unpredictable rainfall brought by climate change. These changes influence the health of freshwater streams (known as “ghuts”), sedimentation, erosion and water quality (“grit”), as well as aquatic communities and ecosystems (“gills”) that are unique to the islands and important for indigenous peoples’ heritage, local fishermen, tourism, and more. However, the US Virgin Islands have limited water resource data, and the data that exist are scattered across sources, creating an obstacle for adapting water management strategies.
Preparing for and responding to climate change requires understanding the threats, priorities, solutions, and funding opportunities, and identifying partners who can provide leadership and action. This project brings together stakeholders to assess data availability and to identify critical knowledge gaps needed to inform science-based decisions. The project team will draft a “Virgin Islands Water and Climate Needs Assessment” that outlines actionable steps to address data needs, identify funding sources, recommend responsible parties, and set timelines to document progress.
Three key outcomes of this project will be: 1) A shared vision among Virgin Island stakeholders to plan for and respond to climate change threats; 2) A road map for communicating priority data needs to local, state, and federal partners, and for measuring progress, and; 3) A working group to build on collective partner strengths, complement ongoing initiatives, and minimize duplication of efforts.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6616ebb6d34e7eb9eb7d6d56)