Habitats: Habitats on the island include open bare sand, areas with moderate grasses & herbs, and saltmarsh.  The island is surrounded by shallow water with seagrass flats. 

Land Use: wildlife conservation

Primary Threats: disturbance to nesting birds, continued availability of dredged sand.

Protection Status: The site is protected and managed by the National Audubon Society.

Conservation Issues: Disturbance to nesting birds is a primary concern. The island is posted, patrolled and is entirely off-limits to visitors during the nesting season from 1 April to 1 September.  Storm of recent years have caused significant erosion on the island. Maintenance of the island with dredged sand is important to the continued viability of the site as a nesting site for colonial waterbirds.  Nesting Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls have increased in number in recent years.  The impact of these species on nesting terns should be studied.

Birds: Wainwright Island has long been a nesting site for Brown Pelicans and other colonial waterbirds.  The island continues to support one of the state's largest colony of pelicans and one of the state's largest colonies of Royal and Sandwich Terns. The island also supports a small colony of Black-crowned Night Herons and Great Egrets.