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Habitat & Conservation

The Thousand Islands is a unique 336-acre area within the largely urbanized City of Cocoa Beach – approximately 20% is uplands (primarily dredge spoil and maritime hammock) and 80% is wetlands or sovereign submerged land. Brevard County EELs (Environmentally Endangered Lands) worked with the State FCT (Florida Communities Trust) and the City of Cocoa Beach to acquire these private lands in 2007. The Thousand Islands Conservation Area Management Plan spells out detailed conservation management that includes invasive plant removal and native plantings, along with continued monitoring for native plant recruitment and invasive plant reoccurrence and removal.

The sanctuary is an extensive area of mangrove islands (tidal swamp community) with shallow open water vegetated by seagrass, although the seagrass community has been identified as “imperiled” by FNAI (Florida Natural Areas Inventory). Originally it was a ~ 3,000 year old barrier island “overwash formation” that was ditched and dredged/filled, primarily in the 1960s.

Existing vegetative habitat includes both native plant species and listed invasive plants. Invasive or undesirable plant species include Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, carrotwood, lantana camera and others. Endemic or threatened plant species include semaphore thoroughwort, shell-mound pricklypear and giant air plant. Some of the areas where invasive or undesirable plants had been removed, appropriate native species such as sabal palm, saw palmetto and Florida privet were established. In many areas, natural recruitment has occurred, and this will be the key ongoing management method, while actively monitoring for invasive plant regrowth.

Common animals seen on or around the islands include the Florida manatee, bottlenose dolphin, diamond-back terrapin, American alligator, green turtle, osprey, brown pelican, great blue heron, horseshoe crab and striped mullet. Many of these are either endangered, threatened or species of special concern. Common resident birds, to name a few, include black vulture, great and snowy egret, wood stork, belted kingfisher, double-crested cormorant and great horned owl. Seasonal guests and flybys include American white pelican, bald eagle and a variety of warblers and duck. The Thousand Islands is located within an FWC Strategic Habitat Conservation Area for listed wading birds. A variety of butterflies can be spotted during various seasons including gulf fritillary, giant and black swallowtail, monarch, atala and numerous sulfurs. Common fish include mullet, spotted seatrout, red and black drum, common snook, sheepshead, catfish and pinfish.