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Navassa

National Wildlife Refuge


Susan Silander, Project Leader
Joseph Schwagerl, Refuge Manager
Caribbean Islands NWR Complex
Cabo Rojo NWR
PO. Box 510
Boqueron, PR 00622
Phone: 787/851 7258
Fax: 787/255 6725
E-mail: r4rw_pr.cb@fws.gov


Refuge Facts
* Established: 1999.
* Acres: The island covers 1,344
acres. The refuge includes a 12
mile radius of marine habitat
around the island.
* Location: Navassa Island is
located 35 miles west of the
Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti.
* Administered under Caribbean
Islands NWR complex.
Natural History
* Over 1 million tons of bird guano
was removed from the island
between 1865-1901.
* The U.S. Coast Guard built a 162
foot lighthouse in 1917.
* Large seabird colonies present
including over 5,000 nesting red
footed booby.
* Home to four endemic lizard
species.
Financial Impact of Refuge
* No staff.
* Closed to the public.
Refuge Objectives
* To preserve and protect coral
reef ecosystems and the marine
environment.
* To restore and enhance native
wildlife and plants.
* To provide opportunities for
scientific research.
Management Tools
* Wildlife surveys.
* Scientific research.
* Coral reef monitoring.
* Vegetation monitoring.
Public Use
Closed to the public.


Questions and Answers
What type of research has been
conducted at Navassa?
The Center for Marine Conservation
(CMC) has funded three expeditions
to the island to date. Investigations
and inventories by personnel from
the: Smithsonian, American Museum
of Natural History, NOAA, USGS,
USFWS, John G. Shedd Aquarium,
and Avila College have discovered
several new species of marine fish in
the waters around Navassa as well as
several new species of spider from
the island. Over 240 species of fish
have been documented in the waters
around the island which are rich in
sponges, algae and coral.

For what purpose was the refuge
established?
The refuge was established to
preserve and protect the biodiversity,
health, heritage, and social and
economic value of U.S. coral reef
ecosystems and the marine
environment.

Why is the refuge closed to the
public?
There are no beaches on Navassa.
The island rises abruptly from the
sea with cliffs reaching heights of 20
meters or more. Access is extremely
hazardous.