States may protect coral reefs using biological water quality standards outlined by the Clean Water Act. This requires biological assessments with indicators sensitive to human disturbance and regional, probability-based survey designs. Stony coral condition was characterized on a regional scale for the first time in the nearshore waters of the US Virgin Islands (USVI). Coral composition, abundance, size, and health were assessed at 66 stations in the St. Croix region in fall 2007 and at 63 stations in the St. Thomas and St. John region in winter 2009. Indicators were chosen for their sensitivity to human disturbance. Both surveys were probability-based (random) designs with station locations preselected from areas covered by hardbottom and coral reef substrate. Taxa richness was as high as 21 species but more than half the area of both regions exhibited taxa richness of <10 species in the 25 m(2) transect area. Coral density was as high as 5 colonies m(-2) but more than half the area of both regions had <2 colonies m(-2). Both regions showed similar dominant species based on frequency of occurrence and relative abundance. Because of large colony sizes, Montastrea annularis provided more total surface area and live surface area than more abundant species. The surveys establish baseline regional conditions and provide a foundation for long-term regional monitoring envisioned by the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The probabilistic sampling design assures the data can be used in Clean Water Act reporting.

The accidental introduction of the Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis to Guam has resulted in the extirpation of most of the island's native terrestrial vertebrates, has created a health hazard to infants and children, and has resulted in economic losses. Cargo inspections using teams of handlers and their detector dogs form a last line of defense for preventing Brown Tree Snake dispersal from Guam. To assess the efficacy of the teams of handlers and their dogs for locating stowed Brown Tree Snakes, we planted Brown Tree Snakes (in escape-proof containers) in cargo without the knowledge of the handlers inspecting the cargo. We found that when an observer attended the inspection to monitor procedures, 80% of the planted snakes were located. Without an attending observer present, 70% of the planted snakes were discovered, but only after such plantings had become a routine procedure. Prior to the routine planting of snakes, efficacy was nearly 50% less (38%). The reasons some planted snakes were missed by the dog teams were split between: an insufficient search pattern by the handler, or the dog giving no discernable indication that a snake was present.