of shellfish. The Great Depression caused most of the residents to move elsewhere, but a few squatters remained. By 1940, there were twenty-five structures left on the island. The last resident, a fisherman, was thought to have moved away in 1944. However, The New York Times showed that Census Enumerators visited Ruffle Bar as late as 1950 to collect Census data from the remaining residents. The island is uninhabited and, along with other islands in Jamaica Bay, has been designated as a bird sanctuary. Due to its remoteness, kayakers have sometimes become stranded on the island. References Year of establishment missing Bird sanctuaries of the United States Islands of Brooklyn Islands of Queens, New York Protected areas of Brooklyn Protected areas of Queens, New York Uninhabited islands of New York (state) Gateway National Recreation Area