Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve

 

"Very rarely can you be on the water or stand at the water's edge and see a shoreline as protected as Pine Island Sound. It is rimmed with mangroves and other vegetation that protect both the surrounding land and the water within." - Erick Lindblad, former executive director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

 

In Pine Island Sound, waters from Charlotte Harbor, San Carlos Bay and the Caloosahatchee River mix with water from four passes to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Last Modified: Thursday, Oct 03, 2024 - 09:39am

Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve

 

"This aquatic preserve is the essence of the southwest Florida estuary - teeming with life, exquisite in form and extremely sensitive to human-caused impacts. It is one of our many jewels in southwest Florida and we have a duty to protect this valuable preserve!" - Bob Janes, former Lee County Commissioner

 

Last Modified: Thursday, Oct 03, 2024 - 09:39am

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

 

Located at the northern end of the Ten Thousand Islands on Florida's Gulf Coast, the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve represents one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America. The research reserve is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and encompasses two aquatic preserves - Rookery Bay and Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands.

Last Modified: Thursday, Oct 03, 2024 - 09:39am