The primary boundary of this 2,802-acre preserve, located in Harrison County, follows the edge of the beach. This large barrier island is made up of subtidal estuarine habitat near shore, barrier island pond/lagoon complex with pine-oak maritime woodland inland, and sea grass beds and mollusk reef off shore. This unique location provides excellent feeding, resting, and wintering habitat for numerous types of migratory bird species, such as the Brown Pelican, White Pelican, and Cormorants. This area is also known to be a rookery for the Least Tern and Black Skimmer. Lands within this Coastal Preserve are either privately, locally, state or federally owned. Much of the property is considered tidal wetlands and is already owned by the state.
Rare/Endangered Species:
- Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night-heron
- Pandion haliaetus Osprey
- Falco sparverius American Kestrel
- Sterna antillarum Least Tern
- Charadrius alexandrinus Snowy Plover
- Malaclemys terrapin pilea Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin
- Alligator mississippiensi American Alligator
- Paronychis erecta Beach Sand-Squares
- Helianthemum arenicola Gulf Rockrose
- Polanisia tenuifolia Slender-Leaf Clammy-Weed
- Quercus myrtifolia Myrtle-Leaf Oak
- Xyris flabelliformis Fan-Shaped Yellow-Eyed Grass
(Sources of Information: Toups, J.A., and J.A. Jackson. 1987. Birds and birding on the Mississippi.)
For Comments and/or Additional Information on Cat Island, email the Coastal Preserves Manager.
Contact Cat Island Preserve
REMINDER: This listing is a free service of MississippiLandCAN.
Cat Island Preserve is not employed by or affiliated with the Mississippi Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.
Contact Cat Island Preserve
1141 Bayview Avenue
Biloxi, MS 39530
Phone: (228) 374-5000
Cell Phone: (228) 523-4149
Service Area
Services provided in:
- Harrison County, Mississippi
