Catlett Islands preserved

The Catlett Islands on the York River are being preserved for science and education thanks to a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The $1.49 million grant will allow nearly all of the islands, covering about 450 acres, to be purchased and added to the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science will be the new owner of most of the Catlett Islands. Officials say about 45 acres already is owned by a Virginia Beach family.

The Catlett Islands have existed for some 65,000 years. The uninhabited islands are covered in scrub, salt marsh and sand dunes. Scientists and students have combed the islands since then to conduct ecological research.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.pilotonline.com