In addition to all the neat wildlife and habitats that are nearby, the area is also home to the Kennedy Space Center . The Coastal Plain of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts has a very gentle slope. The gentle slope, along with ocean currents, rising sea levels, and prevailing winds combined to form offshore ridges of sand along parts of the coastline. Barrier islands generally run parallel to the shore, and are backed by estuaries and salt-marsh wetlands. Some of the most beautiful examples of barrier islands on the Atlantic Coast are National Seashores, a part of the National Park system.
Barrier islands are dynamic and ever-changing places.
Land that is there one day is gone the next, and what was water one day may be beach the next. It is rare, and kind of exciting, to be able to see geology in action on such a time scale. Many barrier islands are substantial chunks of land, much more than a raised sand bar in the shallow water. Larger islands are apt to have numerous habitat types. Between the ocean on one side and the bay on the other, barrier island habitats include the beach, primary dunes, sandy overwash terraces, grasslands, shrub thickets, oak and pine forests, salt marshes, and occasionally fresh water ponds.