Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (/ˈkʊrɪtʌk/), located on the northern end of North Carolina's Outer Banks, was established in 1984 to preserve and protect the coastal barrier island ecosystem. Refuge lands are managed to provide wintering habitat for waterfowl and to protect endangered species such as piping plover, sea turtles, and seabeach amaranth. The refuge has a surface area of 8,316 acres (33.65 km2).