Mangrove restoration occurred from 2005-2009 in selected areas within Pine Island Sound to augment natural repropagation in areas where seed sources had been depleted.
Given that mangrove restoration can often be unsuccessful it is best to only plant in those areas that have the greatest likelihood of long-term survivability. The availability of viable seeds was extremely limited on the islands selected for planting in Pine Island Sound, due to the large-scale destruction of adult mangroves.
This restoration project was deemed largely successful as Darling, Rat, Cat and the Wood Keys have reached a state of self-sufficiency barring the occurrence of future devastation. The restoration has given nature the assistance necessary to initiate recolonization that will hopefully result in a mature forest within 15 to 30 years.
The efforts to restore Pine Island Sound mangrove islands following the devastating impact of Hurricane Charley is the result tireless labor over a span of 4 years. The many successes to date are largely due to the efforts of Charles and Sandra Wagner of Mangrove Manor.
The Wagner’s reside in a house located in the mangrove forest on Pine Island that overlooks Pine Island Sound and its many mangrove islands. Hurricane Charley not only destroyed the mangroves in this area, but caused devastating destruction to the Wagner’s property.
They credited the mangrove forests that surround their house and the islands in the Sound for preventing total annihilation of their property, as the eye of the storm passed directly over their land; and thus created Mangrove Manor with the goal of restoring the mangrove islands that had helped to protect them.
When efforts to restore Water Turkey Bay proved unsuccessful due to storms, die-off of seagrass donor beds, and a combination of other factors, the opportunity arose to use the remainder of USFWS grant 1448-40181-3-J-037 to assist in the Wagner’s restoration efforts through a No Cost Modification to the grant.
For years now, thousands of volunteer hours have been spent planting the mangrove islands that once played a pivotal role in protecting the residents of Pine Island.