Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries

Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries protect the great colonial waterbird populations of the Gulf Coast and the natural systems that support them. In Tampa Bay, Audubon operates Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries- this collection of protected islands for rare birds and wildlife. Dozens of these islands are the nesting and resting grounds for more than 50,000 birds and must be protected, cleaned up and monitored by biologists year-round. With increased boating activity and nesting season beginning to take off, our team of volunteers and staff are working hard right now to ensure another successful year for the endangered and threatened species that depend on these sanctuaries.

Unfortunately, weak-limbed invasive trees are trying to outcompete the strong native trees these species need to nest on some of these islands. Your gift today will help Audubon combat these dangerous invasives, replace them with beneficial native plants, and keep these sanctuaries maintained and cleaned up. 

Your gift will go directly to helping Audubon protect, monitor, and manage these islands that are so important for generations of iconic wading birds. These birds need of now more than ever. 

History of Audubon's Coastal Islands Sanctuaries

The first Audubon Sanctuary in Tampa Bay was established in 1934 to stop the shooting and harvest of nesting herons and ibis at Green Key in Hillsborough Bay. As human population growth and development in the Tampa Bay area have expanded, the wildlife conservation concerns of the Sanctuaries staff have also broadened from the more direct goal of the protection of nesting colonies themselves, to reflect an ecosystem approach. Today, the scope and area of the Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries' activities are still increasing to meet the conservation needs of the state's colonial waterbirds.

Roseate Spoonbills in Tampa Bay  | Photo: Marianne Korosy

When the National Audubon Society began protecting Tampa Bay's bird colonies in 1934, just two islands, Green Key and Whiskey Stump Key in Hillsborough Bay, were protected by Sanctuary Warden Fred Schultz. More islands were added almost immediately to Warden Schultz's responsibilities, the Alafia Bank islands and Pine Island. Another island, Terra Ceia Bird Key (now our Washburn Sanctuary) was added in 1939. In the 1970s and early 1980s, five more islands were acquired by lease, marking the expansion of the Tampa Bay Sanctuaries beyond the borders of Tampa Bay (Cortez Key, Whale Key, and the Town Islands of Sarasota Bay).

In the 1990s, we broadened our view to monitor, post, and/or patrol more than 50 islands located on Florida's central west coast. With the permission of landowners and the aid of volunteers, we now actively protect 28 islands and assist in the monitoring, management, and protection of several more. These islands host some 50,000 breeding pairs of 29 species - among the largest and most diverse coastal bird populations in the state.

• We combine active protection efforts (posting signs and patrol) with research and monitoring, habitat management, community outreach, advocacy and education.
• We post, patrol and monitor important bird colonies during the nesting season. We ask trespassing members of the public to leave nesting islands but in a cooperative way: we're all out here to protect Tampa Bay together.
• We count nesting populations on 50 island colonies along Florida's west central coast to gain an understanding of wildlife population trends in this area.
• We manage and improve habitats, control erosion of nesting islands, and remove non-native vegetation, to improve nesting success on islands.
• We use cooperative projects as tools to create community awareness of wildlife and wildlife habitat needs, as an October "Catch Fish, Not Birds" Monofilament Cleanup with Tampa BayWatch, to remove fishing line from nesting islands outside of the breeding season.
• We work on related goals, such as wetlands protection, water quality enhancement, fisheries health, seagrass restoration, upland habitat restoration, environmental lands acquisition, restoration, and management, dredge material management, zoning and land use planning, ecotourism and bird-watching as local economic assets, among others.
• We use the colonies and the birds themselves as educational and strategic devices to build community support for wildlife and influence public policy affecting wildlife and habitat.
• We train and cooperate with Audubon chapter volunteers working to achieve similar goals in their own communities.
• We work with the media to share interesting and important wildlife stories, to increase an understanding of the needs of wildlife and to build a constituency for wildlife.
• We reach out to the community by giving talks, leading field trips, serving on various appropriate committees, producing informational publications, and other means to educate the public about colonial waterbirds and habitat protection requirements.