Virgin Islands Coral Reef

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument includes federal submerged lands within the 3-mile belt off the island of St. John. These waters support a diverse and complex system of coral reefs and other ecosystems such as shoreline mangrove forests and seagrass beds. The tradewinds, or the Easterlies, dominate the weather in the Virgin Islands, blowing east to west across the tropical Atlantic. Winter tends to bring stronger winds and less rain, and summer tends to bring more rain and lighter winds.