This portion of Coral Bay on the southeastern edge of Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument is being proposed for a large marina/Save Coral Bay

A marina proposed for a portion of Coral Bay at St. John in the Virgin Islands that could accommodate nearly 150 vessels has drawn the concern of Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, which is worried the development will impair not only the marine resources but also the surrounding land that could be covered with shopping and dining businesses as well as waste-water treament facilities.

The proposed marina in Coral Harbor also has prompted a lawsuit. The Save Coral Bay Fund, with the support of the Coral Bay Community Council, announced earlier this month that it was partnering with the Virgin Islands Conservation Society to initiate legal action against the development. If the marina is built, the groups maintain, it would become one of the largest in the Caribbean and located in "one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of St John."

Some parts of the national park run up to the waters of Coral Bay, and roughly half of the bay is within the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. The bay, which touches Hurricane Hole and Round Bay, is popular with snorkelers and scuba divers drawn to its warm waters and brilliantly hued fisheries and corals. The bay also is popular with sharks, as lemon, black tip, and nurse sharks use it as a nursery, according to a study for the Coral Bay Community Council.

At the friends group, President Joe Kessler outlined the problems of the proposed St. John Marina to his membership, saying "(T)here is widespread concern about this development on social, economic, and environmental grounds. In addition, the viability of its location and its feasibility as a sustainable business is also called into question."

"However, we are most concerned about the environmental issues and the impact this development will have on nearby VI National Park lands and VI Coral Reef National Monument waters both at Hurricane Hole and to the south of St. John," he added. "Adjacent Fortsberg lies within Virgin Islands National Park boundaries and Hurricane Hole and other park lands are less than a mile away as the gull flies and less than 1½ miles away by sea."

A rendering of how the proposed marina might look in Coral Harbor/Friends of Virgin Islands National Park

According to planning documents submitted by the Summer's End Group, no zoning changes would be necessary to develop the marina and its supporting infrastructure. The developers also propose an education program to lessen impacts from those using the marina.

The project has been designed to minimize impacts to the environment to the greatest degree possible while maintaining a viable marina project. It is The Summer'™s End Group'™s intention to participate in the Clean Marina and Blue Flag programs. As mitigation for unavoidable impacts The Summer'™s End Group will be providing educational signage and literature on boating practices to protect the marine environment and its residents. The applicant will also support workshops and seminars to support the protection of the environment.

The Summer's End Group also envisions a fish and farmer's market that would benefit local businesses and serve as "a gathering place for friends to share good times and the news of the day. In addition, The St. John Marina contribution to community kids is extended to the support of a myriad of youth organizations including KATS and Using Sport for Social Change."

The project, the developers believe, will bring an economic impact of $8.8 million to the St. John and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and generate at least 90 jobs

From Mr. Kessler's perspective, the proposed marina would pose a "significant threat" to waters protected by the national park and national monument, would eliminate 8 acres of seagrass beds, impact water flows, and "add an unknown amount and number of contaminants to the bay waters from all the vessels and generally lead to severe degradation of water quality."

The park map showing Coral Bay. Green-shaded areas are in the national park, the heavy blue line represents the boundary of the national monument/NPS

Proposed mitigation efforts by the developer are unsatisfactory, he said, saying they revolve around planting seagrass and mangrove stands where none currently grow.

"There are no physical barriers in the sea and the degradation of the waters of Coral Bay will have a negative impact on the waters of nearby Hurricane Hole and beyond," he said.

Species that could be impacted by the project include several that are listed as threatened or endangered, according to the friends group, though the developer's environmental assessement report states that, "(N)o listed or nominate species were observed on the project area subject to this permit application." Species that use the monument's waters range from humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles to four species of dolphins to roseate terns.

"Countless species of reef fishes, invertebrates, plants and algae utilize these submerged lands during their lives, and over 25 species of seabirds feed in the waters. Between the near shore nursery habitats and the shelf edge spawning sites, habitats in the monument play essential roles during specific developmental stages of reef associated species, including spawning migrations of many reef fish species and crustaceans," said Mr. Kessler. "These are threatened by the marina and the development has given no consideration to the potential negative cumulative impacts to park and monument resources caused by significantly increased vessel traffic."

Summer's End Group, though, believes the project will benefit the bay's waters.

"The project has the potential to impact the marine environment through sedimentation and erosion and though the introduction nutrients and other contaminants in runoff. A stringent sedimentation and erosion control plan has been developed, and mangroves will be planted to help stabilize the shoreline," its environmental assessment report states. "As stated in the previous section, this project should result in a net improvement in water quality in the project vicinity through reduction in uncontrolled runoff and through implementation of the stormwater management program."

The appearance of the marina and its infrastructure also will be a benefit to the area, the developer believes.

Many iconic photographs of coastal New England hamlets, Floridian seaside villages and Caribbean destinations center on marina settings. Marinas and the wide range of sea-faring vessels that are found there inspire visions of fun and romantic nautical outings and adventures, evoking positive emotions and a sense of wonder," the Summer's End Group's environmental report stated. "The St. John Marina, with its new state-of-the-art docks and upland buildings in their classic West Indian architecture vernacular, will evoke those feelings of wonder and through experience of the marina'™s services, create memories that could last a lifetime. This positive visual impact is a primary consideration for the developers of The St. John Marina as this aesthetic is essential to success within target markets.

According to the friends group, the project already has been approved by the local Coastal Zone Management Commission, and will soon seek approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

At the Save Coral Bay Fund, some $75,000 has been raised towards a goal of $100,000 to finance the effort to stop the project, and to develop a long-term management plan for Coral Bay's natural and cultural resources. A website to solicit additional donations has been created.