Area 26 ha Nearest city Anna Maria | Established 1905 | |
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Governing body US Fish & Wildlife Service Similar Pinellas National Wildlife R, Egmont Key State Park, Caloosahatchee National Wildlife R, Pine Island National Wildlife R, Madira Bickel Mound St | ||
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.
References
Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA