## Clearwater Harbor-St. Joseph Sound
Status: Recognized State: Florida Priority: State Country: US Criteria Proposed: Criteria Confirmed: D1, D4iv County: Pinellas

Latitude: 28.019 Longitude: -82.779 Area (ha): 4.0 Elevation (m): Min 0.0 Max 0.0 Avg 0.0

Bird Conservation Region Peninsular Florida Endemic Bird Area



## Site Description Belleair Beach, <1.2 ha; Indian Rocks Beach, 0.2 ha; Island I-25, 1.6 ha; Marker 6 Island, 0.04 ha; Marker 10 Island, 0.04 ha; Marker 26 Island, <0.8 ha; North Cl earwater Beach, 0.4 ha;
In west-central Pinellas County, between the mainland an d barrier island, and between state roads 586 and 688. The islands range from Ozona to Indian Rocks Beach. List ed geographically from nort h to south, the sites are: Marker 26, North Clearwater Beach, Island I-25, Marker 10 , Marker 6, Belleair Beach, and Indian Rocks Beach. All the islands lie within the Pinellas County Aquatic Preser ve. Near the Gulf Islands GEOpark IBA to the north.
Several islands (most formed from dred ging operations) between the barrier is lands and mainland, as well as one site (North Clearwater Beach) on the barrier island. Ma ny of the islands are named after nearby channel markers in the Intracoastal Waterway. Marker 26 Island is north of State Road 58 6 between Honeymoon Island and Ozona. Island I-25 is just south of State Road 60. Marker 10 and Marker 6 islands are between Island I-25 and State Road 686. Indian Rocks Beach consists on two islands between state roads 686 and 688. North Clearwater Beach is part of a sand spit that links Caladesi Island with Clearwater Beach.



## Ornithological Significance Sites within this IBA support signific ant Brown Pelican, wading bird, and larid colonies, and also support breeding population of shorebirds. Marker 26 Island currently is th e northernmost nesting site of Reddish Egrets on the Gulf coast of Florida.



## Criteria significant populations of Threatened, Special Concern, and FCREPA species; significant populations of larids



## Species Data and Criteria

Common

Name Date Seasonal/ Daily Season # Observed Density (#/km2) Units Proposed Criteria Confirmed Criteria
American Oystercatcher Snowy Plover 2001 breeding 1 Breeding pairs
1989 breeding 4 Breeding pairs
Black Skimmer 2001 breeding 275 Breeding pairs
2000 breeding 275 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 65 Breeding pairs
Least Tern 2001 breeding 65 Breeding 

## Pa g e 1 of 3 Site Report: Clearwater Harbo r -St. Joseph Soun d

7/5/2011 htt p ://iba.audubon.or g /iba/ p rofileRe p ort.do?siteId=61pairs
2000 breeding 30 Breeding pairs
Reddish Egret 2001 breeding 6 Breeding pairs
2001 breeding 5 Breeding pairs
2000 breeding 8 Breeding pairs
2000 breeding 3 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 4 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 4 Breeding pairs Snowy Egret Great Egret
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill 2001 breeding 8 Breeding pairs
2000 breeding 4 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 1 Breeding pairs
Brown Pelican 2001 breeding 99 Breeding pairs
2001 breeding 94 Breeding pairs
2000 breeding 246 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 120 Breeding pairs
1999 breeding 92 Breeding pairs



## Ownership State of Florida (marker islands), City of Clearwater (I sland I-25), unknown: (Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, North Clearwater Beach)

% of IBA Ownership
– State – Township/Municipality
– unset



## Habitat *mangrove forest, spoil uplands. Indi an Rocks Beach: *mangrove forest. Island I-25: *mangrove forest, tidal marsh, coastal strand. Marker 6 Island: *coastal strand. Marker 10 Island: *coastal strand. Marker 26 Island: *spoil uplands, ma ngrove forest. North Clearwat er Beach: *coastal strand.

% of IBA Habitat – Barren / Bare Rock/Sand/Clay / Coastal Strand 

## Pa g e 2 of 3 Site Report: Clearwater Harbo r -St. Joseph Soun d

7/5/2011 htt p ://iba.audubon.or g /iba/ p rofileRe p ort.do?siteId=61– Forested Upland / Deciduous forest / Tidal Marshes – Wetlands / Woody Wetlands / Mangrove Forest



## Land Use
Belleair Beach: *conservation. Indian Rocks Beach: *conservation. Isla nd I-25: *conservation. Marker 6 Island: *conservation, recreation. Marker 10 Island: *conservatio n, recreation. Marker 26 Island: *conservation. North Clearwater Beach: *conservation, *recreation.

% of IBA Land Use
– nature conservation and research – tourism/recreation



## Conservation Issues All sites are posted against human intrusion during the nest ing season by either Audubo n of Florida, the City of Belleair Beach, or the Clearwater Mari ne Aquarium. • Exotic plants, primaril y Brazilian pepper, have invaded some of the islands. Control is difficult because many of the birds are nesting in the pepper stands. • The addition of

“ construction grade” dredged material is being considered to stabilize Markers 6 and 10 islands, and riprap of other material is needed to secure the shoreline of Marker 26 Island.

Level Threat

0 Disturbance to birds 0 Invasive species / Non-native plants
0 Natural events / Erosion 0 Recreation/tourism / Monofilament fishing line

Citation: National Audubon Society 2011. Important Bird Areas in the U.S. 

## Pa g e 3 of 3 Site Report: Clearwater Harbo r -St. Joseph Soun d

7/5/2011 htt p ://iba.audubon.or g /iba/ p rofileRe p ort.do?siteId=61