The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation ( SCCF ) is an American ecosystem protection group. It was founded in 1967 on Sanibel Island , Florida to preserve the island's interior freshwater system. The non-profit's mission has since evolved to also protect and care for Southwest Florida's coastal ecosystems.
7-621: SCCF is the largest private landowner on Sanibel, protecting around 1,800 acres on the island. SCCF also owns more than 300 additional acres in the region, including on the islands of Pine Island Sound , Fort Myers and Cape Coral . Many of these acres are closed to the public, though SCCF has over 8 miles of public trails. The Native Landscapes & Garden Centre sells native plants, and offers landscaping and educational programs. The Marine Laboratory monitors water quality and conducts research on subjects such as seagrass, mangroves, harmful algal blooms, and shellfish restoration. The lab also oversees
14-491: A permit granted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to monitor sea turtles on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Sea turtle monitoring on Sanibel began in the late 1950s, and the program was transferred to SCCF in 1992. Most of the sea turtles that nest on Sanibel and Captiva are loggerheads ( Caretta caretta ) or green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas) , with around 600 or more loggerhead nests laid on
21-690: A water-quality sensor network throughout the Caloosahatchee , known as the River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network. SCCF monitors the shorebird snowy plover , loggerhead sea turtles , and occasional leatherback sea turtles on the Sanibel and Captiva Islands, which has an environmental policy program. SCCF also monitors other wildlife species that are federally threatened such as the Eastern indigo snake . SCCF's sea turtle program operates under
28-712: Is on Cayo Costa Island, on the east side of the sound. Useppa Island , in the northern part of the sound, has a long history of occupation documented by archaeologists. In the 18th and 19th centuries Pine Island Sound was the site of seasonal camps used by Cubans catching fish for the Havana market. The Sound is also centerpiece of the Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail, a 190-mile canoe and kayak trail. 26°36′15″N 82°10′16″W / 26.60417°N 82.17111°W / 26.60417; -82.17111 Great Calusa Blueway The Great Calusa Blueway
35-524: Is relatively shallow in many locations, and boaters are cautioned to utilize up-to-date charts and tide tables. For thousands of years, the Sound was home to the Calusa Indians and their ancestors. The 67-acre Pineland Archeological District faces the Sound on the western shore of Pine Island. The Pineland site features several shell mounds, including a burial mound. The Mark Pardo Shellworks Site
42-873: The Sound from the Gulf of Mexico . The Sound connects to Gasparilla Sound and Charlotte Harbor to the north, and to San Carlos Bay and the Caloosahatchee River to the south. The Sound is conterminous with the Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve, which was established in 1970 and consists of 54,000 acres (220 km ) of submerged land. Important habitats in the Sound include mangroves , seagrasses , salt marshes , oyster communities, tidal flats and sponge beds . All animals in and around Pine Island sound, including mollusks, fish, birds and mammals, are affected by periodic outbreaks of red tide ( Karenia brevis ). The Sound
49-523: The islands each year, as well as an average of a dozen or more green turtle nests. Leatherback sea turtles ( Dermochelys coriacea ) and Kemp's ridley sea turtles ( Lepidochelys kempii ) also nest occasionally on the islands. Pine Island Sound Pine Island Sound is located in Lee County, Florida , lying between Pine Island and the barrier islands of Sanibel Island , Captiva Island , North Captiva Island and Cayo Costa , which separate
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