View source for Buck Island Reef National Monument

{{Short description|Nature reserve in the U.S. Virgin Islands}}
{{Distinguish||text=[[Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge]], near Saint Thomas}}

* {{Use American English|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox protected area
| name = Buck Island Reef National Monument 
| photo = BuckIsland StCroix fire coral.jpg
| photo_alt = A photo of corals on the reef
| caption = 
| iucn_category = Ia
| map = US Virgin Islands Saint Croix#USA Virgin Islands#Caribbean
| map_caption = Location of Buck Island Reef National Monument in the US Virgin Islands
| map_alt = A map of the US Virgin Islands showing the location of Buck Island Reef National Monument
| coordinates = {{coords|17.78694|-64.61916|display=inline, title}}
| location = [[United States Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]], [[United States]]
| area_acre = 880
| visitation_num = 30,436
| visitation_year = 2012
| visitation_ref = <ref name="visits">{{NPS Visitation|accessdate=November 18, 2013}}</ref>
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
| established = December 28, 1961
| website = [https://www.nps.gov/buis/index.htm Buck Island Reef National Monument]
}}

'''Buck Island Reef National Monument''' protects '''Buck Island''', a small, uninhabited 176-acre (712,000 m²) island about {{convert|1.5|mi|1|abbr=out}} north of the northeast coast of [[Saint Croix]], [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], and 18,839 acres of submerged lands, totaling 19,015 acres.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm |title=Buck Island Reef, National Monument Virgin Islands - Basic Information |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 10 Aug 2017|publisher=National Park Service |access-date=1 Jan 2018 }}</ref> It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.” The [[U.S. National Monument]] was created in 1961 by John F. Kennedy and greatly expanded in 2001 by Bill Clinton, over the opposition of local fishermen. Buck Island National Monument is one of few places in the Virgin Islands where brown pelicans and threatened least terns nest.

[[File:Line1501 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Buck Island Reef National Monument]]

Most of the Monument area, which is administered by the [[National Park Service]], is underwater and attracts around 50,000 visitors a year. With its {{convert|4554|acre|km2|adj=on}} reef there is plenty to explore and experience in the water. Snorkelers can follow a marked underwater trail on the eastern tip. It is one of only three underwater trails in the United States.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Along the trail are plaques denoting information about marine flora and fauna commonly found in the area. Two thirds of the island is surrounded by an [[elkhorn coral]] barrier reef, providing an ecosystem for over 250 fish species and a variety of other marine life including [[spotted eagle ray]]s, [[nurse shark]]s and [[lemon shark]]s, and juvenile [[Blacktip reef sharks]] and [[Whitetip reef shark]]s. In the spring endangered [[Leatherback turtles]] come onto the beach to nest while [[Green turtle]]s and [[Hawksbill turtle]]s nest during the summer months. Turtle Beach on the western edge of the island features a pristine white sand beach and has been voted one of the world's most beautiful beaches by [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]].

The National Park Service has been monitoring Buck Island for over 40 years. Most of the research is focused on coral, fish, sea turtles, brown pelicans and least tern nesting. West beach is one of the most active turtle nesting beaches in the world with one of the longest continually operating research programs.

To ensure the ecosystem continues to thrive, the National Park Service requires all visitors to use authorized concessioners providing guided tours or have a [https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm permit] if on private vessels without paying customers. To help protect the natural environment, visitors are encouraged to wear non-toxic reef safe sunscreen or a rash guard while swimming in the waters surrounding Buck Island Reef National Monument.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:BuckIsland StCroix.jpg|Buck Island seen from the East
File:BuckIsland.jpg
File:Buck Island Turtle Beach.jpg|Turtle Beach at the western tip of the island
File:buckislandandturtle.jpg|Buck Island and Sea Turtle
File:hobiecatonbuckisland.jpg|Hobie Cat on Buck Island
File:buckisland1.jpg|Buck Island from East End
File:BuckIsland StCroix fire coral.jpg
File:Buck Island Reef National Monument firecoral jackfish.jpg
File:Buck_Island_Reef_National_Monument_Acanthurus_coeruleus.jpg|Shoal of [[Acanthurus coeruleus|blue tang]]s
File:Buck Island Reef National Monument parrotfish.jpg|[[Stoplight parrotfish]]
File:Buck Island Reef National Monument End of Trail.jpg|End of the underwater marked trail
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of national monuments of the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Buck Island Reef National Monument}}
* [https://www.nps.gov/buis/index.htm NPS: official Buck Island Reef National Monument website]
* [http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS119614 Fish Assemblages and Benthic Habitats of Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Surrounding Seascape:  A Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Patterns] [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]

{{U.S. Virgin Islands}}
{{Protected areas of the United States Virgin Islands}}
{{National Monuments of the United States}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National monuments in the United States Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Marine parks of the United States Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of the United States Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1961]]
[[Category:1961 establishments in the United States Virgin Islands]]