Ten Thousand Islands
| Ten Thousand Islands | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Gulf of Mexico | |
| Geographical location | 25 ° 51 ′ N , 81 ° 30 ′ W | |
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| Number of islands | several hundred | |
| Main island | Marco Island | |
The Ten Thousand Islands ( Eng. "Ten Thousand Islands") are a group of islands off the southwest coast of Florida . The exact number of islands is not known, but with a few hundred islets less than the name suggests.
The archipelago extends directly in front of the mainland and consists largely of small islets covered with mangroves . An exception is Marco Island at the northern end of the island chain, by far the largest island. It is occupied by a city with over 12,000 inhabitants, whereas most of the other islands are uninhabited wilderness. Administratively, the northern part of the Ten Thousand Islands belongs to Collier County , the southern islands to Monroe County .
ecology
The majority of the Ten Thousand Islands are largely untouched by human influences and are therefore a significant biotope. The southernmost part of the archipelago is part of the Everglades National Park , to the north of which is the protected area of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge . The mangroves are an important habitat for young fish, around 200 different species have been detected in the island's waters. The Ten Thousand Islands are also significant as a breeding or wintering area for a number of bird species (189 documented species). In addition, sea turtles nest on some islands and the seagrass meadows serve as food for the rare Caribbean manatees .