Round Island (Mississippi)

Round Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Mississippi Sound, 6.5 kilometers (4 mi) south of Pascagoula, Mississippi, U.S.A. The 0.26-km² (65-acre) island is a coastal preserve, situated in Jackson County and managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The relatively isolated terrain—consisting of slash pine forest, interior marsh, and sandy beach—provides feeding, resting, and wintering habitat for migratory birds, including the brown pelican, white pelican, and cormorants. A number of rare or endangered species, including the American alligator, are found there. [cite web
title=GEMS - Round Island
work=Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
url=http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/Coastal-Ecology/GEMS/Round-Island.htm
accessdate=2006-03-18]

The island had a lighthouse as early as 1833. The original wooden structure was replaced in 1859 with a brick lighthouse at coord|30.2919|N|88.5867|W| at the southern tip of the island. [cite web
title=Historic Light Station Information & Photography - Mississippi
work=U.S. Coast Guard
url=http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBLIGHTHOUSES/LHMS.html
accessdate=2006-03-18] The lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Georges in 1998.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 damaged Round Island, cutting channels partly or completely through from east to west. [cite web
title=Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society
url=http://www.roundislandlighthouse.org/
accessdate=2006-03-18] A $7.5 billion, ten-year Gulf Coast environmental restoration initiative announced in December 2005 includes plans to restore Round Island. [cite news
first=John
last=Surratt
url=http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/index.ssf?/base/news/1133867738294160.xml
title=Governor announces $7.5 billion environmental initiative
work=The Mississippi Press
date=6 December 2005
accessdate=2006-03-18 ]

Nearby islands

*Deer Island
*Horn Island
*Petit Bois Island

References