1000 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, NC 28449
(910) 458-5798
fort.fisher@ncmail.net

Ecological information
It would be difficult to find an area on the North Carolina coast with a greater variety of maritime habitats than Fort Fisher. The ocean teems with life, from microscopic plankton to fishermen's favorites — king and Spanish mackerel, striped and channel bass, and the great blue marlin. Closer to shore, spot an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin just beyond the breakers or follow the flight of the brown pelican as he skims over the waves.

One of the most interesting animals found at Fort Fisher is the loggerhead sea turtle. The loggerhead uses the isolated beach as a nesting habitat, coming ashore to deposit eggs in the warm sand. Weighing from 150 to 300 pounds, the female nests every three or four years, laying up to five nests a year. Each nest may contain as many as 120 eggs. After a two-month incubation, the hatchlings emerge from the nest and race to the sea. The loggerhead sea turtle is included on the federal list of endangered and threatened species. Those who disturb or harm turtles, nests or hatchlings are subject to penalty.

The sandbars and intertidal pools found in the narrow zone between land and sea are a diverse and productive arena for living creatures. Low tide brings tidal pools that delight shell-seekers of all ages with such treasures as sea stars, tulip shells and keyhole urchins.

Brown pelicans, terns and seagulls, including the great black-backed gull, soar above the dunes in all seasons. Double-crested cormorants, gannets and loons flock to the area in winter.

The northern portion of the park is occupied by a remnant maritime forest of live oak and yaupon. Near the ocean, these salt-tolerant trees are shaped by wind and sea spray and grow no more than 20 to 30 feet in height. Farther south, an evergreen shrub thicket runs along the main road. Yaupon, wax myrtle, groundsel tree and greenbrier populate the area. These natural brambles provide ideal hiding places for raccoons, opossums, foxes and rabbits.

The look of the land at Fort Fisher constantly changes. Hurricanes and strong storms along the coast can erode dunes, washing away in hours what took years to accumulate or filling inlets that were once deep waters. Sea oats, panic grass, seashore elder and other plants that are tolerant to the sand, wind and salt spray help to build and stabilize new dunes. Granules of windblown sand are trapped by stems and branches. The sand piles up around the base of the plants. Over days, weeks and years, these piles of sand can grow into large dunes.

The bare sand and sparsely vegetated areas between and behind the dunes are a nesting habitat for colonial water birds, including black skimmers and terns that deposit their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand. In order to protect their exposed nests, these birds seek safety in colonies ranging in size from a few pairs to several thousand pairs.

The endangered piping plover — a species whose Atlantic population is less than 1,400 pairs — nests at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Resembling a sandpiper, the piping plover is a small, camouflaged bird that blends with the pale, sandy ground. Even the bird's eggs are camouflaged and can go undetected until stepped upon.

Although the bird was once common in the 19th century, the piping plover all but disappeared after the turn of the century due to excessive hunting for the millinery trade. The species made a comeback in the 1940s due to a migratory bird protection act, but the species again declined, this time due to the recent increased development and recreational use of beaches. Nesting areas at Fort Fisher are posted to provide sanctuary from human and pet intrusion, which can cause nesting parents to desert the nest and expose the eggs or their young to the sun and predators.

To help the plover and other nesting birds, respect the roped-off nesting areas. Do not approach or linger near the birds or their nests. Keep your pets leashed as they, too, can destroy nests. Also, don't leave or bury trash or food scraps on the beach; the trash attracts predators.

The estuary's tidal creeks attract seafood lovers as well as fish-eating birds. An assortment of herons, ibises and diving ducks compete with human fishermen in search of flounder, spot, mullet, crab, mussels and clams. Other birds, including osprey, oyster catcher and willet, enjoy nearby sandbars. Mud flats in the estuary are also great for bird watching, especially at low tide when whimbrels, dowitchers, dunlins and sandpipers swarm the area in search of food.

Extensive salt marshes border the west side of the island. These habitats are among the most productive on earth and supply vital nutrients to life in nearby creeks, bays and ocean waters. In the water, cordgrass shelters the larvae of fish and shellfish while, closer to land, black needlerush provides cover. Wildflowers in the marsh include sea-oxeye, sea lavender and salt marsh mallow. Northern harriers and other soaring birds take advantage of the marsh's open spaces to find and feed upon small rodents.