Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge

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Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Relief Map of Caribbean.png
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Location in the Caribbean
Location Navassa Island
Nearest city Jérémie, Haiti
Coordinates 18°24′0″N75°0′30″W / 18.40000°N 75.00833°W / 18.40000; -75.00833 Coordinates: 18°24′0″N75°0′30″W / 18.40000°N 75.00833°W / 18.40000; -75.00833
Area383,000 acres (1550 km2)
1344 acres (5.4 km2) land
EstablishedDecember 3, 1999
Visitors0(in 2005)
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge protects coral reef ecosystems, native wildlife and plants, as well as provides opportunities for scientific research on and around Navassa Island. The National Wildlife Refuge is located 35 miles (56 km) west of the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. The refuge encompasses 1,344 acres (5.44 km2) of land and a 12 nautical mile (22.2 km) radius of marine habitat around the island.

Contents

Navassa Island features large seabird colonies including over 5,000 nesting red-footed booby (Sula sula). Navassa is home to four endemic lizard species. Two other endemic lizards – Cyclura cornuta onchiopsis and Leiocephalus eremitus, are extinct. [1]

Navassa Island NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Due to hazardous coastal conditions, and for preservation of species habitat, the refuge is closed to the public.

See also

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References

  1. Robert Powell. "Island Lists Of West Indian Amphibians And Reptiles" (PDF). Retrieved July 15, 2012.