Map of reef erosion and accretion at Buck Island Reef National Monument

Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM) is a culturally and ecologically important location in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, that, like many coral reefs in the western Atlantic, has begun experiencing net reef erosion rather than reef growth in recent decades. The island’s beaches provide habitat for several threatened and endangered species like sea turtles and the St. Croix Ground Lizard and serve as nesting habitat for migratory shorebirds. Its reef provides protection for these shores and in the words of President John F. Kennedy is, “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.” In addition to its ecological functions, the park’s rich history was also instrumental in the decision to make it the first marine protected area in the United States.