Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - Florida
Posted by: 
moochie
N 28° 38.491 W 080° 44.144
17R E 525827 N 3168298
Located just east of Titusville, Florida, this 140,000 acre refuge shares a common boundary with NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Waymark Code: WM2JJ7
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 11/11/2007
Views: 59
The Merritt Island NWR was established in 1963 when NASA created Kennedy Space Center. The refuge provides a buffer for space operations while also protecting key habitat such as wetland, hardwood hammock and scrub. This refuge is one of the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in the United States. Over 1600 loggerhead sea turtles nest each year. Green sea turtles and Leatherback sea turtles also nest here, but not in such large numbers. Canaveral National Seashore is the longest section of undeveloped beach on Florida's Atlantic coast (43 miles). This lack of development makes this beach prime for sea turtle nesting. Black Point Wildlife drive is located in the refuge. This 7 mile, one way auto tour is a self guided drive through salt and freshwater marshes. The endangered west indian manatee can be seen year round at Haulover Canal, but are more plentiful in the fall and the spring.
The visitors center is open 8am-4:30 Monday through Friday and from 9am-5pm on weekends. The refuge is closed to entry from sunset to sunrise. It is also closed 3 days prior to a scheduled launch and the day of the launch.
For more information visit www.fws.gov/merrittisland
NWR or Protected Planet Website: [Web Link]
Point of Interest (POI): Visitor Information
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Visit Instructions:
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