Anne Morkill on Hall Island. "I will miss the true wilderness nature of Alaska" Photographer Art Sowls

Moving from one end of the road to the other, Anne Morkill will be leaving Alaska Maritime Refuge at the end of April to take the helm as Refuge Manager of Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex.  Morkill has been Deputy Manager at the Maritime Refuge since 2001 seeing the Refuge through major challenges including development of Refuge headquarters in the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, the M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill in 2004-2005, and overseeing cleanup and restoration of underground nuclear test sites on the Refuge’s Amchitka Island. 

Based in Big Pine Key, just 30 miles from the southernmost end of the road at Key West, Morkill will be in charge of four refuges dealing with many issues surprisingly similar to those she faced at Alaska Maritime.  Both refuges are made up of islands with marine-oriented challenges including waterbird population declines, invasive species, and endangered species.  The Florida Keys have more than 30 endangered species from the American crocodile to the diminutive Key deer.   Morkill says dealing with people pressures of poaching and smuggling in the highly developed Keys will be a new challenge.  A native of Miami, Morkill is no stranger to Florida.