Cat Island Preserve on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

Cat Island Preserve
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last updated: March 2024

The primary boundary of this 2,802-acre preserve, located in Harrison County, follows the edge of the beach. This large barrier island is made up of subtidal estuarine habitat near shore, barrier island pond/lagoon complex with pine-oak maritime woodland inland, and sea grass beds and mollusk reef off shore. This unique location provides excellent feeding, resting, and wintering habitat for numerous types of migratory bird species, such as the Brown Pelican, White Pelican, and Cormorants. This area is also known to be a rookery for the Least Tern and Black Skimmer. Lands within this Coastal Preserve are either privately, locally, state or federally owned. Much of the property is considered tidal wetlands and is already owned by the state.

Rare/Endangered Species:

Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night-heron
Pandion haliaetus Osprey
Falco sparverius American Kestrel
Sterna antillarum Least Tern
Charadrius alexandrinus Snowy Plover
Malaclemys terrapin pilea Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin
Alligator mississippiensi American Alligator
Paronychis erecta Beach Sand-Squares
Helianthemum arenicola Gulf Rockrose
Polanisia tenuifolia Slender-Leaf Clammy-Weed
Quercus myrtifolia Myrtle-Leaf Oak
Xyris flabelliformis Fan-Shaped Yellow-Eyed Grass

(Sources of Information: Toups, J.A., and J.A. Jackson. 1987. Birds and birding on the Mississippi.)

For Comments and/or Additional Information on Cat Island, email the Coastal Preserves Manager.

Contact Cat Island Preserve

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Cat Island Preserve is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.