Refuge provides highlights of monthly biology activities
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge biological science technician Avery Renshaw recently reported on the Sanibel refuge’s following biology activities for the month of May.
Renshaw accompanied the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve’s team, which is part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, on its monthly nesting survey of state and federally owned colonial bird rookery islands in the upper Pine Island Sound. The surveys monitor the nesting effort of wading and water birds, such as egrets, herons, brown pelicans, double-crested cormorants and anhingas. Wading birds are useful indicator species for estuary health as their reproductive performance can alert scientists and natural resource managers to a change in the biological condition of the local ecosystem.
Designated a Critical Wildlife Area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hemp Key — an island in the Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is part of the Sanibel refuge complex — was bursting with nesting activity. In past years, Hemp Key has been among the top rookeries supporting the most nesting activity, often hitting a peak nest count of more than 200 nests.
The refuge reported that it will continue monitoring all the new life being produced in local rookeries. The partnership between the refuge and FDEP ensures that all state and federal rookery islands in the Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass are routinely surveyed and monitored during the nesting season. The data contributes to the South Florida Wading Bird Report compiled by the South Florida Water Management District every year.