Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Ibises, roseate spoonbills and egrets at Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve, Florida United States.
Map of the United States
Location	Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States
Nearest city	Titusville, Florida
Coordinates	28°31′N 80°40′W / 28.517°N 80.667°W / 28.517; -80.667
Area	140,000 acres (570 km2)
Established	1963
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000-acre (57,000 ha) U.S. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island and NASA can restrict access to the refuge based on its operational needs.

The NWR contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species, of which 21 species are listed as endangered by the state of Florida or by the US federal government. Management of the NWR is provided through the Merritt Island NWR Complex, which provides hiking and driving trails for the public, subject to access restrictions from NASA. It is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.