Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge

Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge
Location Manatee County, Florida, United States
Nearest city Anna Maria, Florida
Coordinates 27°33′20″N 82°44′35″W / 27.55556°N 82.74306°W / 27.55556; -82.74306Coordinates: 27°33′20″N 82°44′35″W / 27.55556°N 82.74306°W / 27.55556; -82.74306
Area 64 acres (260,000 m2)
Established 1905
Governing body US Fish & Wildlife Service
Website Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge

The Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located offshore from St. Petersburg. The 64-acre (260,000 m2) refuge was established in 1905. It is one of the three 'Tampa Bay Refuges', and is administered as a part of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is closed to the public.

The Passage Key Wilderness Area is part of the refuge, and consists of 36.37 acres (or 56.9%) of its total area. It was established in 1970, to protect native birds and serve as a breeding ground for them.

Passage Key has suffered substantial shoaling in recent years, and is currently reduced to a small sandbar approximately 100 yards (91 m) long at high tide.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/19/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.