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2024 Youth Conservation Corps Opportunity at Merritt Island NWR

Are you between the ages 15 to 18? Do you have a love for the outdoors? Looking for a summer job? Interested in exploring a career in wildlife management? Come join our team!

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will be sponsoring a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) employment program for the summer of 2024. For further information about this opportunity, please download the informational sheet at the following link: https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-04/merritt-island-nwr-ycc-flyer-2024.pdf    Applications for the position must be completed and submitted or postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, May 3, 2024. Click on the following link for a fillable pdf application form:https://www.fws.gov/media/youth-conservation-corps-application-form   If you have questions, or need additional information please contact Courtney Johnson (321) 861-0669.

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Haulover Bridge Closure

The Haulover Canal Bridge will be closed to road traffic from April 22 until June 17, 2024, while repairs are made to the bridge. Refuge public use areas on either side of the bridge will still be open to visitation during the closure. For additional information, please contact the refuge visitor center at 321-861-0669. 

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located along Florida’s coast about 60 miles east of the city of Orlando, was established by agreement as an overlay of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. The refuge lies within one of the most productive estuaries in the country.
Refuge Passes available on Recreation.gov

A Refuge Pass is required to enter the Black Point Wildlife Drive and Bio Lab Road, and to launch a boat at Bairs Cove, Beacon 42, and Bio Lab boat ramps. A variety of passes can be purchased in-person at the Visitor Center. Merritt Island Annual, Daily, and Foot/Bicycle passes can be purchased online at Recreation.gov. Fees collected are used to directly assist with providing safe and meaningful experiences to refuge visitors.

Learn more about Refuge Passes on our Visit Us page

Visit Us

National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge offers a wide diversity of recreational and educational opportunities. From bird watching and nature study, to fishing and seasonal hunting, you are sure to find an activity to satisfy your passion. 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established as an overlay of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. According to the agreement with NASA, the lands and waters of the Kennedy Space Center are primarily to serve the space program and secondarily to serve as a wildlife refuge or park.

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge
      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used.

      Our Species

      Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 for the protection of migratory birds.  Consisting of 140,000 acres, the refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, managed impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals and 15 federally listed species. 

      Our Library

      Visit our digital library to view our brochures and publications all in one convenient location.

      Merritt Island NWR 2024 Permitted Fishing Guides
      Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Bird List

      A list of birds known from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.