Bill Gawley, Program Manager, Acadia National Park Air and Water Resources will discuss the high concentrations of a variety of air pollutants Acadia National Park periodically experiences, primarily as a result of long-range transport by prevailing winds from large urban and industrial areas in states to the south and west.

The National Park Service has established a comprehensive Air Resource Manage­ment program at Acadia National Park, a Class I area under the Clean Air Act, to better assess air pollution impacts and protect air quality related resources. This program, which began in the early 1980s, includes monitor­ing, research, and regulatory interaction with state and federal agencies. Core program elements include long-term monitoring for ozone, fine particulates, visibility, mercury deposition, and acid precipitation. In addition, there is an ongoing effort to determine the ecological effects of selected air pollutants on park resources. In recent years, monitoring data have indicated a significant reduction in some pollutant levels and their resultant ecological effects.

MDI Science Cafés, which are sponsored by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Cross Insurance, and McKay’s Public House, are open to the public and free of charge. Refreshments will be served.

In honor of Acadia National Park’s Centennial, the 2016 MDI Science Café schedule includes several presentations on biological research relevant to the national park.

For more information, visit MDI Science Cafés or call 207.288.3147.