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description:
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Data used to produce this layer were collected in 2014 by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). Data were collected from the population of occupational SCUBA divers in the U.S. Virgin Islands (n=87) on the value of particular reef areas, as well as the status of these reefs in terms of ecological health. Survey respondents provided spatial information on: 1) the presence of significant ecological and biological features on familiar reefs; 2) the influence of common ecological stressors on familiar reefs; and 3) the best reef areas for diving tourism, personal diving and research activities. |