Ecosystem
Copano Bay serves as a nursery for shrimp, which attracts a large number of redfish. Abundant collections of Black drum, Flounder and Trout, can also be found in the bay. Oysters grow in large numbers to form elongated reefs "oriented perpendicular to tidal flow" in the estuary. The reefs provide habitat for fish and sustenance for a wide variety of birds including the Black-bellied Whistling-duck, Black-necked Stilt, Brown Pelican, Gull-billed tern, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Seaside Sparrow, White-faced Ibis and the Whooping Crane. The dominant species of gastropod in the bay is Eulimastoma harbisonae.
In 2003, the United States Department of the Interior granted $574,000 to Texas Parks and Wildlife to purchase over 900 acres (3.6 km2) of prime birding habitat at Egery Flats and the mouth of the Aransas River, to prevent further development.
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