Breton National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Breton National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeastern Louisiana
in the offshore Breton Islands and Chandeleur Islands
. It is located in the Gulf of Mexico
and is accessible only by boat. The refuge was established in 1904 through executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt
and is the second-oldest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge
System.
and Breton Island
s and soon afterward created Breton NWR. He visited the Island in June 1915, this is the only refuge Roosevelt ever visited. The island has been the site of a lighthouse
station (eventually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
) a quarantine station, a small fishing village and even an oil production facility. Ultimately all these man-made structures will be destroyed by nature and only the birds will remain. Fisherman, birdwatchers and even artists such as Walter Inglis Anderson
visit the island to enjoy its bounties.
Breton NWR includes Breton Island in Plaquemines Parish
and all of the Chandeleur Islands in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
. The barrier islands that make up Breton NWR are remnants of the Mississippi River
's former St. Bernard Delta, which was active about 2,000 years ago. These barrier islands are dynamic; their sizes and shapes constantly are altered by tropical storms, wind, and tidal action. The area above mean high tide is approximately 6923 acre (28 km²). Elevations on Breton NWR range from sea level to 19 ft (5.8 m) above mean sea level. Early literature on Breton and the Chandeleur Islands mentions trees and a generally higher elevation than exists today. In 1915, several families and a school were located on Breton Island. Prior to the hurricane of that year, the island was evacuated. The hurricane destroyed the settlement, and it was never rebuilt.
All of the federally-owned lands, except for North Breton Island, in Breton NWR became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System on January 3, 1975 (Public Law 93-632). North Breton was excluded because an oil facility, owned by Kerr-McGee
, Inc., was located on that island. The Breton Wilderness, according to the Clean Air Act
, is listed as a Class I Prevention of Significant Deterioration Area. Recently, the only visible improvement within the wilderness was the Chandeleur Lighthouse on the north end of the islands; the lighthouse was constructed before the turn of the century.
of nesting wading birds and seabird
s, as well as wintering shorebirds and waterfowl
. Twenty-three species of seabirds and shorebirds frequently use the refuge, and 13 species nest on the various islands. The most abundant nesters are Brown Pelican
s, Laughing Gull
s, and Royal
, Caspian
, and Sandwich Terns. Waterfowl winter near the refuge islands and use the adjacent shallows, marsh
es, and sounds
for feeding and for protection during inclement weather. Redheads
and Lesser Scaup
account for the majority of waterfowl use. Other wildlife species found on the refuge include coypu
, rabbit
s, raccoon
s, and loggerhead sea turtle
s.
), Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia
), and Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera
). Shallow bay waters around the islands support beds of Manatee Grass (Cymodocea
filiformis), Shoal Grass (Halodule
wrightii), Turtle Grass (Thalassia
testudinum), and Widgeon Grass (Ruppia maritima
).
moved through the Gulf of Mexico. The storm washed over the islands at a time when many juvenile pelicans were unable to escape and many eggs were still in the nests. On top of that, an oil spill washed directly into the nesting areas and many young pelicans were covered with oil. Some of the pelicans were rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the refuge but many more did not survive.
Breton NWR also took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina
. There was significant erosion of the islands. Large areas of beach and marsh were destroyed and much of the vegetation that stabilizes the islands and provides habitat for the pelicans and other animals was uprooted or damaged. The Chandeleur Island Lighthouse was destroyed.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with their partners to respond to the many problems created by the damage to the islands. It would take many years for the islands to recover naturally (if ever) so they will do what they can to rebuild and re-vegetate the islands. They are also monitoring the brown pelicans and other birds that return to nest on the islands and nearby, less desirable habitat to determine the long term impact on this endangered species.
A wildlife recovery seems to be occurring, however. As many as 2,000 brown pelican nests have been reported on the refuge in 2007. The pelican nests, eggs and chicks remain vulnerable through the tropical storm season and until they have fledged and can forage on their own.
from the rig Deepwater Horizon
approached the wildlife refuge. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
is likely to exceed the Exxon Valdez oil spill
in terms of volume. The refuge was closed on May 7, 2010 to limit disturbances of nesting sea birds and allow cleanup operations to proceed unimpeded.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in the offshore Breton Islands and Chandeleur Islands
Chandeleur Islands
The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of uninhabited barrier islands approximately long, located in the Gulf of Mexico. They form the easternmost point of the state of Louisiana, USA and are a part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge...
. It is located in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and is accessible only by boat. The refuge was established in 1904 through executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and is the second-oldest refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
System.
History
In 1904, President Roosevelt heard about the destruction of birds and their eggs on ChandeleurChandeleur Islands
The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of uninhabited barrier islands approximately long, located in the Gulf of Mexico. They form the easternmost point of the state of Louisiana, USA and are a part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge...
and Breton Island
Breton Island
Breton Island is a small rocky island lying southwest of Empereur Island. It was charted in 1950 by the French Antarctic Expedition and named by them for their largely Breton crew....
s and soon afterward created Breton NWR. He visited the Island in June 1915, this is the only refuge Roosevelt ever visited. The island has been the site of a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
station (eventually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
) a quarantine station, a small fishing village and even an oil production facility. Ultimately all these man-made structures will be destroyed by nature and only the birds will remain. Fisherman, birdwatchers and even artists such as Walter Inglis Anderson
Walter Inglis Anderson
Walter Inglis Anderson was an American painter, writer, and naturalist.Known to his family as "Bob", he was born in New Orleans to George Walter Anderson, a grain broker, and Annette McConnell Anderson, member of a prominent New Orleans family, who had studied art at Newcomb College, where she had...
visit the island to enjoy its bounties.
Breton NWR includes Breton Island in Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Plaquemines Parish is the parish with the most combined land and water area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Pointe à la Hache...
and all of the Chandeleur Islands in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish is a parish located southeast of New Orleans in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Chalmette, the largest city in the parish. As of 2000, its population was 67,229. It has been ranked the fastest-growing county in the United States from 2007 to 2008 by the U.S....
. The barrier islands that make up Breton NWR are remnants of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
's former St. Bernard Delta, which was active about 2,000 years ago. These barrier islands are dynamic; their sizes and shapes constantly are altered by tropical storms, wind, and tidal action. The area above mean high tide is approximately 6923 acre (28 km²). Elevations on Breton NWR range from sea level to 19 ft (5.8 m) above mean sea level. Early literature on Breton and the Chandeleur Islands mentions trees and a generally higher elevation than exists today. In 1915, several families and a school were located on Breton Island. Prior to the hurricane of that year, the island was evacuated. The hurricane destroyed the settlement, and it was never rebuilt.
All of the federally-owned lands, except for North Breton Island, in Breton NWR became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System on January 3, 1975 (Public Law 93-632). North Breton was excluded because an oil facility, owned by Kerr-McGee
Kerr-McGee
The Kerr-McGee Corporation, founded in 1929, was an energy company involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas. On June 23, 2006, Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation agreed to acquire Kerr-McGee in an all-cash transaction totaling $16.5 billion plus the assumption of $2.6...
, Inc., was located on that island. The Breton Wilderness, according to the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act
A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...
, is listed as a Class I Prevention of Significant Deterioration Area. Recently, the only visible improvement within the wilderness was the Chandeleur Lighthouse on the north end of the islands; the lighthouse was constructed before the turn of the century.
Fauna
Breton NWR provides habitat for coloniesBird colony
A bird colony is a large congregation of individuals of one or more species of bird that nest or roost in close proximity at a particular location. Many kinds of birds are known to congregate in groups of varying size; a congregation of nesting birds is called a breeding colony...
of nesting wading birds and seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, as well as wintering shorebirds and waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
. Twenty-three species of seabirds and shorebirds frequently use the refuge, and 13 species nest on the various islands. The most abundant nesters are Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is in length, weighs from and has a wingspan from .-Range and habits:...
s, Laughing Gull
Laughing Gull
The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western...
s, and Royal
Royal Tern
The Royal Tern is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This bird has two distinctive subspecies. T. m. maximus breeds on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern USA and Mexico into the Caribbean. The slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa...
, Caspian
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
, and Sandwich Terns. Waterfowl winter near the refuge islands and use the adjacent shallows, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, and sounds
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
for feeding and for protection during inclement weather. Redheads
Redhead (duck)
The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm long with an 84 cm wingspan.The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.The breeding habitat is...
and Lesser Scaup
Lesser Scaup
The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill...
account for the majority of waterfowl use. Other wildlife species found on the refuge include coypu
Coypu
The coypu , , also known as the river rat, and nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent and the only member of the family Myocastoridae. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by...
, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, and loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
s.
Flora
The dominant vegetation on Breton NWR are Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinansAvicennia germinans
Avicennia germinans, commonly known as the black mangrove, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae.A. germinans grows in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and on the Atlantic coast of tropical Africa, where it thrives...
), Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia
Baccharis halimifolia
Baccharis halimifolia is a fall-flowering deciduous or evergreen shrub commonly found in wetlands on the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the eastern United States from Texas and Florida northward to Massachusetts, inland to the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania...
), and Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera
Myrica cerifera
Myrica cerifera is a small tree or large shrub native to North America. Its common names include Wax myrtle, Bayberry, Candleberry, Bayberry tree, and Tallow shrub...
). Shallow bay waters around the islands support beds of Manatee Grass (Cymodocea
Cymodocea
Cymodocea is a genus in the family Cymodoceaceae. It includes four species of sea grass distributed in warm oceans....
filiformis), Shoal Grass (Halodule
Halodule
Halodule is a genus of plants in the family Cymodoceaceae. It includes six to ten species of sea grass distributed in warm oceans.-External links:***...
wrightii), Turtle Grass (Thalassia
Thalassia (genus)
Thalassia is a marine seagrass genus comprising 2 species.-Species:T. testudinum Banks ex König is the type specimen. It is native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean with specimens found as far east as Bermuda. It has a fossil record in the Gulf to the Middle Eocene.T. hemprichii ...
testudinum), and Widgeon Grass (Ruppia maritima
Ruppia maritima
Ruppia maritima is a species of aquatic plant known by the common name wigeongrass. Despite its Latin name, it is not a marine plant; is perhaps best described as a salt-tolerant freshwater species.-Distribution:...
).
Storm and hurricane damage
The 2005 storm season was very bad for the pelicans of Breton NWR. In June, Tropical Storm ArleneTropical Storm Arlene (2005)
Tropical Storm Arlene was an unusually large and early-forming tropical storm forming during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the first storm of the season, which would become the most active on record. Tropical Storm Arlene formed near Honduras on June 8 and moved northwards...
moved through the Gulf of Mexico. The storm washed over the islands at a time when many juvenile pelicans were unable to escape and many eggs were still in the nests. On top of that, an oil spill washed directly into the nesting areas and many young pelicans were covered with oil. Some of the pelicans were rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the refuge but many more did not survive.
Breton NWR also took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. There was significant erosion of the islands. Large areas of beach and marsh were destroyed and much of the vegetation that stabilizes the islands and provides habitat for the pelicans and other animals was uprooted or damaged. The Chandeleur Island Lighthouse was destroyed.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with their partners to respond to the many problems created by the damage to the islands. It would take many years for the islands to recover naturally (if ever) so they will do what they can to rebuild and re-vegetate the islands. They are also monitoring the brown pelicans and other birds that return to nest on the islands and nearby, less desirable habitat to determine the long term impact on this endangered species.
A wildlife recovery seems to be occurring, however. As many as 2,000 brown pelican nests have been reported on the refuge in 2007. The pelican nests, eggs and chicks remain vulnerable through the tropical storm season and until they have fledged and can forage on their own.
Oil spill
On April 30, 2010, an oil spillOil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
from the rig Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore oil drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the rig was commissioned by R&B Falcon, which later became part of Transocean, registered in Majuro, Marshall...
approached the wildlife refuge. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
is likely to exceed the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
in terms of volume. The refuge was closed on May 7, 2010 to limit disturbances of nesting sea birds and allow cleanup operations to proceed unimpeded.
See also
- List of National Wildlife Refuges: Louisiana