Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge is located in the hamlet of Islip, New York, on the south shore of Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

 and is managed as part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a National Wildlife Refuge complex in the state of New York. All of the component refuges are located on Long Island. The Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of seven national wildlife refuges, one refuge sub-unit and one wildlife...

. The refuge consists of 196 acre (0.79318456 km²) bordering the Great South Bay

Great South Bay

Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...

, separated from the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 only by Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...

. Situated in a heavily developed urban area along Champlin Creek

Champlin Creek

Champlin Creek is on Long Island, located between the hamlets of Islip and East Islip, flowing southward into the Great South Bay between the Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge and The Moorings...

, the refuge is an oasis for many species of migratory birds and waterfowl.

Approximately one half of the refuge consists of tidal marsh

Tidal marsh

A tidal marsh is a type of marsh that is found along coasts and estuaries of which the flooding characteristics are determined by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean . According to the salinity of the flooding water, freshwater, brackish and saline tidal marshes are...

, which serves a vast number of waterfowl

Waterfowl

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....

 in the winter months. The refuge attracts waterbirds, white-tailed deer

White-tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...

, red fox

Red Fox

The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...

, and migratory songbirds and raptors. The Refuge has been classified as part of the larger Great South Bay, a significant coastal habitat. Management activities include forest and grassland

Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

protection and management, wetland restoration, wildlife nesting structure maintenance, and habitat restoration.