“The American Crocodile in Florida: Recovering an Endangered Species in an Endangered Ecosystem” will be the fifth lecture of “A Delicate Balance of Nature” talk series on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
In its 34th year, the series is sponsored by Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park.
When the American crocodile was declared endangered in 1975, little information was available for making management decisions. Florida and Biscayne Bays have undergone changes causing concern for the health of these ecosystems. Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, University of Florida research ecologist and senior “croc doc” at the Everglades Research and Education Center, will review results of monitoring programs for crocodiles, which have been used as a basis for consideration of reclassification of this endangered species and for restoration of its endangered ecosystem.
The presentation will be at the visitor center and aquarium inside John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, located at MM 102.6, oceanside. There is no cost to enter the park for the lecture series. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7:30. Seating is limited. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Attendees may bring a cushion and a sweater or light jacket, and are asked to accommodate those who are chemically sensitive by not wearing fragrances and other scented products.
More information is available from Elena Muratori, park services specialist, at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, at 305-676-3786.
