2025 STX Lionfish Derby | May 16th - may 17th
2025 StT/STJ Lionfish Derby | June 20th - June 21st

~CORE MISSION~
The CORE Foundation inspires communities to be better stewards of the environment through marine awareness education and hands on coastal programs.

~CORE VISION~
Our vision is that the values and benefits of the marine ecosystems that make up the Caribbean are understood, treasured and preserved by all people and that The CORE Foundation has the resources to ensure the continuation of such benefits.​

We achieve our mission and vision through the pursuit of special projects and activities:

Invasive Species Management

 In 2009, the non-profit organization REEF, visited the USVI to inform the community about the impending invasion by the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish.  They advised that an Invasive Species Management Program needed to be built and implemented throughout the territory to assist the community and governmental agencies.   C.O.R.E. took on this task and the team has removed tens of thousands of these invasive fish since the program's inception. 

Coral Restoration

By working together, we can combine our efforts toward protecting the magnificent reefs of the United States Virgin Islands for generations to come. The CORE Foundation has been working hard to help get Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease under control.  This disease can have an extremely high rate of mortality, killing up to 80-100% of individually infected coral colonies.

Coral Nurseries

CORE's coral restoration dome nursery is located in Leinster Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands.  In the waters of the Virgin Islands National Park, CORE Scuba Team members salvage broken pieces of Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals, re-plant them in the "nursery" and tend to them weekly with hopes of eventual out planting to reefs that are in need of these corals.

Marine Education & Outreach

To be a good Steward of the environment, we must do what we can to preserve and restore the health of the planet.  Our impact today, will directly affect the environment and future generations of people.  It is our mission to educate and outreach as much as it is to take ACTION!

Reef Safe Sunscreen

Sunscreens containing the Toxic Three O's​ are ILLEGAL in the US Virgin Islands because these unhealthy chemicals damage and destroy our beautiful reefs (and YOUR health!) over time!  CORE was at the forefront of conversations leading to the 2020 legislature that banned the retail sale or offer for sale, and the distribution or importation for retail purposes of topical sunscreen products containing Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and/or Octocrylene in the territory.

Help us Manage the Invasive Lionfish Response Effort

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​Please submit Recreational Fishing Report Forms to DPNR's Fish and Wildlife division. This is valuable data for the territories premier fish and wildlife scientists to have, so your participation is greatly appreciated.  If you spot a lionfish while enjoying time in our beautiful marine environments, please call the Lionfish hotline:  1-833-774-CORE (2673).  OR follow the instructions and use the QR code below! 
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