![]() Fishing is generally permitted, and hunting for wildfowl is allowed on a strictly limited basis. ![]() In addition the refuge includes, and gives access to Playalinda Beach on the outer barrier island. There are facilities for launching pleasure boats at several places. Boating is permitted on the waters around and within the refuge, and provides an opportunity for observing the wildlife. An observation deck is provided near the drawbridge that carries State Road 3 over the Haulover Canal, in the northern part of the refuge, since manatees frequently congregate there. The refuge provides hiking and driving trails for visitors, with opportunities for observing wildlife without causing disturbances most of the species listed above can be seen by a casual visitor. Subject to the needs of NASA, public access is relatively unrestricted, though it is only allowed during daylight hours camping is only allowed for certain organized youth organizations. Dwarf siren, a recently discovered salamander.However, the public can be excluded if necessary for NASA's purposes, as is done in the days before a launch. Public access is normally permitted, and several state highways run across the refuge. Until then, there had been little development in the area because of the high number of salt marsh mosquitoes. The land occupied by the NWR was acquired by NASA in the early 1960s for the development of the Space Center and its non-operational purposes. Since public access to all these areas is controlled in various ways, the refuge is part of a very substantial area of relatively undisturbed wildlife habitat. Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River run through the refuge. To the north, it borders on the Canaveral National Seashore to the south it encompasses non-public portions of the Kennedy Space Center (with which it also shares some history), which in turn abuts Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located due east of Titusville on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, and occupies 140,000 acres (570 km 2), overlaid with the Kennedy Space Center. View of refuge from Max Brewer Memorial Parkway near Gator Creek It is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail. Management of the NWR is provided through the Merritt Island NWR Complex, which provides hiking and driving trails for the public, subject to access restrictions from NASA. The NWR contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species, of which 21 species are listed as endangered by the state of Florida or by the US federal government. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island and NASA can restrict access to the refuge based on its operational needs. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) U.S.
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