Restoring Natural Habitats by Removing Invasive Vegetation.

The Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) form a unique coastal system comprised of barrier and back-bay islands extending from Naples, Florida through Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. These environmentally sensitive lands are in need of protection due to increasing pressures from nearby metropolitan growth.

The Ten Thousand Islands Outparcel Acquisition Project provided an opportunity for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR) to restore and protect this unique coastal system. The grant focused on the purchase of remaining privately owned islands within the TTI; inventories of wildlife, vegetation, and cultural sites; and restoration of natural habitats by removing invasive vegetation.

Two private ownerships in Gullivan Bay are vital to this process and include a portion of Tripod Key, Brush Key and two adjacent unnamed islands.


Securing a Pristine Future

The State of Florida has purchased 42.4 acres of land, including Brush Key and the two adjacent unnamed islands, and is attempting to purchase the remaining 28.1 acres on Tripod Key. To restore native habitats and increase biodiversity, RBNERR is removing more than 200 acres of invasive vegetation that has spread through the TTI since the early 1900’s. Australian Pine, Brazilian Pepper, and Lather Leaf are the key colonizers that are crowding out native plants and threatening wildlife by minimizing their native habitats.

RBNERR staff, the USFWS, and professional contractors are utilizing herbicides, prescribed burns and mechanical means to clear these disruptive species, investing over 4,700 man hours and over $87,000 in the process. Wildlife surveys have confirmed the presence of American bald eagles, Florida tree snails, loggerhead sea turtles, manatees, Florida mastiff bat, bobcats and vinegaroones (whip scorpions). With the restoration of these lands underway, the populations of these species should respond positively.

Bathymetry, the process of mapping the bottom of the bays, involves collecting data on depth, position, and tide staff readings. Once collected, depth data is corrected for tidal fluctuations, standardized to one relative depth, and composed into a comprehensive map showing the changing contours of the bottom of the bays. RBNERR is now finalizing the data collection, land acquisition, and invasive plant removal. Upon completion of this project, the TTI will be better protected from the effects of increasing population and use, thus securing a pristine future for this coastal system.