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Aquatic Preserves

Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve

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Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve is in Southwest Florida, in both Charlotte and Lee counties. Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve is the largest aquatic preserve in the Charlotte Harbor system fed by the Peace and Myakka rivers, in addition to smaller tributaries and creeks such as Alligator Creek and Coral Creek, opening to the Gulf of America via Boca Grande Pass, the deepest pass in the Charlotte Harbor estuarine complex. At its widest point, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor is 11 miles wide and is 16 miles from north to south. The Boca Grande Causeway marks its northwestern boundary. Its northeastern border is defined by the U.S. Highway 41 bridge spanning the Peace River and the State Road 776 bridge over the Myakka River. The preserve connects with Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound aquatic preserves to the south. The Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve borders it to the west, encompassing the Cape Haze peninsula. The cities of Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Placida, Boca Grande and Bokeelia surround the preserve.

HISTORY

Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve was established in 1979 and is part of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves system. While the Charlotte Harbor system began to form around 5,000 years ago, the first humans, the nomadic Paleoindian groups, likely inhabited the Charlotte Harbor area as early as 12,500. However, as sea level approached its present level, the Charlotte Harbor estuarine complex began to look more like it does today. Since then, humans have lived and worked in Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor. The Calusa tribe were the dominant people in the area, up until the 1500s, when Spanish explorers began visiting the area and eventually led to the demise of the Calusa people.

In modern history, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor has been known as the sportfishing capital, a claim to fame that began in 1885. While Southwest Florida was experiencing a population boom in the 1970s and 1980s, the establishment of the aquatic preserves and the adjacent preserve state parks helped to protect the lands for future generations.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer Opportunities

Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves has volunteer opportunities through the monthly water quality program. Sampling sites are located throughout Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor and the rest of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves estuaries. For more information visit the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network webpage.

Other volunteer opportunities are seasonal and program specific; please email Charlotte.Harbor@FloridaDEP.gov.

The Friends of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves is a nonprofit citizen support organization to support the protection, conservation, restoration, management, responsible public use and the enhancement of the resources of the coastal and aquatic ecosystems within Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves system. You can support this important work by donating, becoming a member, becoming a volunteer and by joining the Board.

Events

  • International Coastal Cleanup is hosted by Keep Charlotte Beautiful.
  • Charlotte County Boat Show occurs annually.

Educational Opportunities

Local ecotour and charter boat businesses provide boat tours and fishing. Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center at Alligator Creek offers various educational programs. Additionally, aquatic preserve staff provide educational materials, scientific data and outreach presentations upon request.

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Human activity within the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves complex and Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park dates back to the Archaic period. There are hundreds of historic or archaeological sites recorded in the Florida Master Site File within or immediately adjacent to Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves. These historic sites include Native American and European encampments, villages and shipwrecks, along with prehistoric shell kitchen middens.

While there are many recorded sites, the prehistoric cultural sequence for the coastal areas around the preserve is still incompletely understood, particularly the earlier pre-ceramic occupations. Part of the problem centers on the fact that there has been an overall 30- to 50-meter rise in sea level in the past 10,000 to 12,000 years. Thus, the majority of the coastal sites from these earliest periods lie on the bottom of the Gulf of America and the extensive bay system of the aquatic preserves.

The preserve's depth is generally over 6 feet, except near the shore and in Gasparilla Sound. Dredging projects have altered the area's bathymetry, leading to strong discouragement of further dredging to protect the natural habitats and ecological balance. Adjacent sediment includes shelly sand, clay and organics.

Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve provides a vital habitat for a diverse array of plant and animal species, including threatened and endangered species. Estuaries are the cradle of the oceans that support many juvenile species throughout their life stages and also play an important role in recreational and commercial fisheries. Mangrove shorelines and islands provide habitat for nesting, wading and diving birds.

Wildlife Habitat and Ecosystem Type
Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve is an Outstanding Florida Waterbody, which provides additional protection for water quality. It is designated as Class II, conditional for shellfish harvesting. Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve contains lush seagrass beds, as well as oyster reefs, mangroves and saltmarsh.

Animals
Smalltooth sawfish, bull shark, seastars, horseshoe crabs, cownose stingray, sea urchins, stone crabs, seahares, blue crabs, variety of mollusks including oysters, clams, banded tulips, crown conchs and lightning whelks.

Nesting and Migrating Birds
Variety of wading and diving birds including brown pelicans, great blue herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, double crested cormorants and reddish egrets. Other commonly seen birds include ospreys, belted Kingfishers, Roseate spoonbills and the white pelican in the winter months.

Mammals
Florida manatees and bottlenose dolphins.

Reptiles
American alligator, loggerhead sea turtle and invasive non-native iguanas.

Fish
More than 200 species of fish can be found in Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor. Common fish include redfish, tarpon, snook, mangrove snapper, mojarras and pinfish.

Other Species
Various algae and seagrass species including shoal grass, manatee grass and turtle grass.
Mangrove trees: Black, white and red mangroves.

Conservation Efforts

Protecting the quality and extent of the natural resources within the aquatic preserves is a priority. Staff monitor water quality, seagrass, wading and diving bird nesting efforts and cultural and historical resources to understand background conditions and trends over time. Understanding changes in these ecosystems and their causes is important in order to conduct adaptive management measures and preserve the integrity of the ecosystem. Staff conduct educational presentations and outreach activities to relay the importance of aquatic preserves’ unique resources and how to protect them.

Ongoing Research

Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves has several long-term monitoring programs with over 20 years of data such as the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network volunteer water quality monitoring program. Other factors monitored at Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves include continuous data sonde water quality, seagrass transects, colonial wading and diving bird nests and cultural and historical resources. These datasets are important to understand trends and changes in estuary health over time.

Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves continuous data sonde data can be viewed and downloaded here at DEP's Florida Aquatic Preserve Program.

Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves seagrass monitoring data can be viewed at CHNEP.WaterAtlas.org

Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network data is available at Charlotte Harbor Water Atlas

Frequently Asked Questions

Each month, season and time of day offers unique opportunities to experience the aquatic preserve. Wildlife viewing, fishing and boating are abundant year-round, while in-water activities are more favorable in the spring with clearer waters and warmer water temperatures.

Yes. Aquatic preserves often are adjacent to other conservation areas that may have nesting birds or other easily disturbed wildlife. Please do not let your pet run free in areas not designated for pets, and please pick up after your pet to avoid hazardous pathogens in our coastal waters. 

Yes. Aquatic preserves often are adjacent to other conservation areas that may have nesting birds or other easily disturbed wildlife.  Please do not let your pet run free in areas not designated for pets, and please pick up after your pet to avoid hazardous pathogens in our coastal waters. 

Follow current FWC saltwater fishing regulations.

Follow current FWC boating regulations.

Seagrass is protected within aquatic preserves; avoid shallow waters and raise motor if over seagrass. Damage to seagrass can result in a fine up to $1,000. 

Call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).

ADA accommodations are specific to each access point and the managing entity for that site. 

There are no fees required by the preserve, but specific access points may charge access fees to those sites. The Friends of Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves can take donations for their goal of supporting preserve management and public outreach/education.

Email Charlotte.Harbor@FloridaDEP.gov to learn about local efforts.

Partner Groups