In celebration of Buck Island Reef’s 50th anniversary year as a National Monument, the National Park Service continues its public lectures about Buck Island Reef National Monument on every second Thursday of each month.
November’s lecture entitled “Spatial Analysis and Marine Protected Area Effectiveness: a Case Study of Buck Island Reef NM” will be held from 5-6 p.m. in the Danish Guinea West India Company Warehouse/ Slave Market Building.
This month’s lecture examines the effectiveness of Buck Island’s status as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Establishing MPAs is an increasingly popular method to address global declines of coral reef ecosystems. Jamie Kilgo, of the NPS Resource Management division, will discuss the important links between the number of fish on our reef, where they choose to live, and their habitat requirements. Her study demonstrates the many ways that fish interact with their chosen habitats, their complex relationships, and the difficulties in understanding ‘spillover’ effects fish that leave the MPA and enter unprotected waters around St. Croix. The Christiansted National Historic Site parking lot will be ‘free’ and open for this event until 7 p.m.
The final topic and date for the 2012 lecture series will be Dec. 13: Buck Island’s “Ancient Peoples-Seen and Unseen.” The series will continue into 2013, stay tuned for titles. www.nps.gov