VIDEO: Cleaning the Mangroves of Coral Bay, St. John

Join us as we clean the mangroves of Coral Bay with the University of Virgin Islands, local Virgin Islanders, and other community members of St. John!

Welcome to Coral Bay, St. John! Today, this once-forgotten corner of the Caribbean is probably best known for its floating taco stand – Lime Out VI. And rightfully so, Lime Out is pretty friggin cool!

But Coral Bay is much more than a fun stop for some tacos on a boat charter. This place is a stunning slice of paradise serving as home to one of the largest concentrations of mangroves in the US Virgin Islands.

Nearby is Hurricane Hole – a series of small, mangrove-lined bays serving as one of the coolest places to snorkel in the Virgin Islands. Other sections of Coral Bay are lined with mangroves, as well, which brings us to today’s adventure: A MANGROVE CLEANUP!

And not just any mangrove cleanup, but rather The Great Mangrove Cleanup!

Essentially, the University of Virgin Islands is hosting a community event where residents volunteer their time to clean the pollution from our local coastline! Check it out below!

And once you’re done, head to our article on how to reduce plastic use so you can help prevent ocean pollution!

Mangrove Cleanup in Coral Bay: Photo Gallery

Cleaning the Mangroves of St. John: Video Transcript

Welcome to the Great Mangrove Cleanup on St. John. Our goal for today is to remove as much marine debris and plastic pollution from the mangrove ecosystems of Coral Bay. Year after year, the results are similar. Plastic bottles dominate the top spot followed by other forms of plastic.

You might hear about how much plastic is in the ocean. It’s one thing to read about it. It’s another thing to see it for yourself. There’s a lot of plastic out there. And the plastic washing into the mangroves on St. John is but a small fraction – yet incredibly eye-opening.

Types of mangroves

You might be wondering, where’s the water? Well, I haven’t gotten there yet. Our first clean-up area is in the mangroves along the roadway. These are typically white and black mangroves which unlike red mangroves don’t require their roots to be directly in the water. Much of the debris in these mangroves is from nearby dumpsters, road pollution, and remnants from past hurricanes when the area likely flooded.

And yes, some of that debris even includes things like paddleboards.

Animals of Coral Bay

One of the funny things about Coral Bay is the sheer amount of animals that roam the area. Donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, and even small horses. Or is that a pony? You tell me.

Purpose of the Mangrove Cleanup

And I haven’t even mentioned it yet: this mangrove cleanup is hosted by the University of the Virgin Islands. As such, when we clean the area we need to record the weight of the trash along with the type of items we remove. This data is then used in scientific research as evidence to promote discussion and policies about marine debris.

Climbing into the mangroves

I will say, climbing into the mangroves can be difficult. They’re thick, low-lying, and buggy. It’s not the most pleasant environment to enter. But I can’t complain too much, Laura and her classmates do this on a regular basis as they hike into the most remote mangrove environments in the Virgin Islands to collect valuable data.

Pulling crazy things out of the mangroves

A little bit more about the event. The University has set up two stations along the mangrove shoreline in Coral Bay. Members of the Virgin Islands community volunteer their time to help clean the environment – it’s a community-based, citizen science program that provides an immense amount of value to the island’s natural environment. And the crazy thing is, with so many helping hands, you never know what you’ll pull out of the mangroves.

Although I didn’t get much video, we spent the next hour along the waterway pulling marine debris that clearly washed ashore from the boats frequenting Coral Bay. Life vests, party cups, water jugs, fenders, and deck line. Literally, we’re filling truckloads to bring to the dumpster.

Overall, it was a successful day. The community came out in force, likely removing thousands of pounds of trash from the mangrove ecosystems of St. John. Mangroves are incredibly important to the overall health of our oceans and the environment at large. To learn more, visit our website at the links down below. So long!