Masonboro Island

Masonboro Island

Masonboro Island as seen from the mainland.
Geography
Location	New Hanover County
Coordinates	34°07′32″N 77°51′29″W / 34.12556°N 77.85806°W / 34.12556; -77.85806Coordinates: 34°07′32″N 77°51′29″W / 34.12556°N 77.85806°W / 34.12556; -77.85806
Area	0.721 km2 (0.2784 sq mi)
Highest point	[1]
Country
United States
State	North Carolina

Masonboro Island is a barrier island in New Hanover County, North Carolina. The island, which is undeveloped and accessible only by boat, is a component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and a North Carolina State Natural Area^[2][3]. It lies south of Wrightsville Beach, separated by Masonboro Inlet, and north of Carolina Beach, separated by Carolina Beach Inlet. The island is a destination for boating, surfing, and camping.

Masonboro Island is a mix of marshes, dunes and tidal flats, with beaches along its Atlantic coastline and a chain of small hills and wetland islands along Masonboro Sound, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The beaches are a nesting ground for loggerheads and green sea turtles, and the waters on the sound side of the island are a nursery for spot, mullet, flounder and pompano^[4].

References

1. ^ MPA Global
2. ^ "Size of the North Carolina State Parks System" (PDF). North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. January 1, 2011. pp. 1–4. http://www.ncparks.gov/About/docs/protection_acreage.pdf. Retrieved May 20, 2011. 
3. ^ MPA Global
4. ^ NC Coastal Reserve