Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1908 as a ". . . preserve and breeding ground for native birds." Located in a vast complex of mangrove islands and brackish waters, Island Bay Refuge consists of six undeveloped, roadless tracts of land totaling 20 acres occupying the higher portions of several islands and their mangrove shorelines. The refuge is surrounded by the Cape Haze State Aquatic Preserve and the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.