Alabama’s Coastal Connection

Alabama’s Coastal Connection. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Little Lagoon is an eight mile long saltwater lagoon connected to the Gulf of Mexico by a man-made pass. Major hurricanes periodically breach the southern shoreline of the Lagoon and create a new pass to the Gulf, which soon fills in naturally. Although it averages only a few feet deep, the lagoon provides important nursery habitat for marine life such as fish, shrimp and crabs. This enclosed environment is protected from predators compared to the Gulf of Mexico. , Bald eagles, red-breasted mergansers, and cormorants frequent the west end of the Lagoon near Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge during winter. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and other Refuge partners are currently restoring seagrass beds in the Lagoon to provide habitat for native wildlife including the endangered West Indian manatee, which occasionally visit the Lagoon. , Gator Lake was formed by a sand spit that developed in Little Lagoon many years ago. A narrow creek connects the 32-acre lake to the Lagoon and brings in saltwater during strong tides. In the absence of major hurricanes, Gator Lake is a mostly freshwater lake, home to largemouth bass, catfish, and bluegill. However, the 16-foot storm surge associated with Hurricane Ivan in 2004 created a brackish environment ideal for marine species such as redfish and speckled trout, but inhospitable to freshwater fish. , Over time, Gator Lake should gradually revert to freshwater with normal rainfall until the next storm starts the natural cycle over again. As its name suggests alligators are occasionally spotted in the lake lake along with herons, grebes, kingfishers, and other native wildlife.