the county's 11 barrier islands provide habitat for coastal species, serve as critical storm protection for the inland communities, and form the basis of the area's thriving tourism industry. The islands are dynamic, with wave action building some islands further up, eroding others, and forming entirely new islands over time. Though hurricanes are infrequent on this part of Florida's coast, they have had a major impact on the islands, with the Hurricane of 1848 forming John's Pass between Madeira Beach and Treasure Island, a hurricane in 1921 creating Hurricane Pass and cleaving Hog Island into Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands, and 1985's Hurricane Elena sealing Dunedin Pass to join Caladesi with Clearwater Beach. Between the barrier islands and the peninsula are several bodies of water, through which traverses a section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. From north to south they are: St. Joseph Sound between the islands and Dunedin, Clearwater Harbor between Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, and Boca Ciega Bay in the southern third of the county. Connecting Clearwater Harbor to Boca Ciega Bay is a thin, approximately stretch of water known as The Narrows, which runs next to the town of Indian Shores. Extending from northeastern Boca Ciega Bay, Long Bayou separates Seminole from St. Petersburg near Bay Pines. Long Bayou once extended significantly farther up the peninsula until the northern portion was sealed off to create Lake Seminole. Extending further still from Long Bayou, the Cross Bayou Canal traverses the peninsula, crossing Pinellas Park in a northeasterly direction before emptying into Tampa Bay on the northwest side of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Barrier islands and passes Anclote Key- offshore of Tarpon Springs and the northernmost point in the county Howard Park- a man-made pocket beach created in the 1960s Three Rooker Bar- the most geologically recent of Pinellas' barrier islands Honeymoon Island Hurricane Pass Caladesi Island Dunedin Pass- shoaled and closed in the 1980s, linking Caladesi Island and Clearwater Beach Clearwater Beach Clearwater Pass Sand Key- the longest of Pinellas' barrier islands John's Pass Treasure Island Blind Pass Long Key (St. Pete Beach) Pass-a-Grille Channel Shell Key Tierra Verde- on the bay side of Shell Key, links the mainland to Fort De Soto. Created by a dredge-and-fill project that merged several smaller Keys, including Cabbage and Pine Keys Bunces Pass Mullet Key- home to Fort De Soto and the southernmost point in the county National protected area Pinellas National