Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge

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Parks Directory of the United States:

Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge

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US Refuge, New York

c/o Long Island NWR Complex
PO Box 21
Shirley, NY 11967


Phone: 631-286-0485; Fax: 631-286-4003
Location: On northwestern Long Island, New York. Established: 1968. Habitat: More than 3,000 acres of shallow bays and salt marshes. Facilities: None. Activities: Boating, canoeing, fishing, educational programs. Access: Open from dawn to dusk; accessible by boat only. Primary Wildlife: Migratory waterfowl, ducks and waterbirds; also marine invertebrates, shellfish, fish, harbor seals, and diamond terrapin. Special Features: Refuge is a marine sanctuary encompassing more water than land. New York’s last remaining commercial oyster farm operates on the refuge, harvesting 90 percent of the state’s oysters.

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge

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Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Map showing the location of Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
Location Nassau County, New York, United States
Nearest city Oyster Bay, New York
Coordinates 40°53′30″N 73°30′28″W / 40.89176°N 73.5079°W / 40.89176; -73.5079Coordinates: 40°53′30″N 73°30′28″W / 40.89176°N 73.5079°W / 40.89176; -73.5079[1]
Area 3,209 acres (12.99 km2)
Established 1968
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Official website

The Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the north shore of Long Island consists of high quality marine habitats that support a variety of aquatic-dependent wildlife. The refuge's waters and marshes surround Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, home of Theodore Roosevelt - father of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Subtidal (underwater up to mean high tide line) habitats are abundant with marine invertebrates, shellfish and fish.

Marine invertebrate and fish communities support a complex food web from waterfowl to fish-eating birds, to marine mammals. Waterfowl use of the Refuge peaks from October through April. Over 20,000 ducks have been documented on the refuge during one survey. Over 25 species of waterfowl, along with numerous other waterbirds, depend on Oyster Bay for survival. The most common marine mammals at the refuge are harbor seals - which have become more noticeable during recent years. Sea turtles and diamondback terrapins can also be sighted at the Refuge.

New York State's only remaining commercial oyster farm operates on the refuge, producing 90% of the State's oyster harvest.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.



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