Cat Island Restoration Project, Alabama

Cat Island, a critical nesting site for herons and egrets was devastated during Hurricane Georges in September 1998. This project proposes to restore the vegetation used by the colonial nesters. Cat Island lies in Mississippi Sound two miles off the mouth of West Fowl River. The island has been the site of large colonial wading bird nesting for the past 50 years. Currently there are eight species of herons and egrets with populations of 1500 to 2000 nesting on the limited vegetation. This is the only known site in Alabama in which the tri-color heron nests. In addition there are terns, black skimmers, oyster catchers and willets also nesting there. Because of the importance of this coastal nesting habitat, Cat Island has been selected as a Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS) by the Gulf of Mexico Program. This project will restore the nesting habitat of migratory wading birds. Once the vegetation has taken root, the success of the project will be measured in the number of large wading birds nesting. Success is driven by habitat and this project restores lost habitat. Overtime nesting populations comparable to pre-hurricane are expected to be seen.