NO NAME KEY -- A Texas A&M University researcher relocated several Florida Key deer from No Name Key to Little Pine Key on Friday with the hope that they will remain there and bolster the barrier island's dwindling deer population.

Roel Lopez, a Texas A&M doctoral candidate, entered the final phase of his three-year study on Key deer this week with a novel restocking project intended to ensure the viability of the endangered species in the Lower Keys. Working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Key Deer Refuge, Lopez plans to move 10 deer to 700-acre Little Pine over the next four months. His study also includes seeking an understanding of the effect of urban development on deer movement.

Calling the project an ``insurance policy,'' Lopez said moving deer from more popular herd areas such as Big Pine and No Name keys to outer islands that have small deer populations could inevitably save the species from extinction. Eventually, the estimated 800 Key deer would be scattered among some 25 islands in the Lower Keys.

``It's like that saying, `Don't put all your eggs in one basket,' '' Lopez said. ``With a majority of the deer population on Big Pine Key and No Name Key, we stand a greater chance of losing individuals in that population in the event of a severe storm or disease outbreak.

``On some of these lesser-populated islands, there's also better food and water sources than what's available to them now. You could look at it one way, that we're messing with the deer's lives. But on the flip side, they're going to a better place for them in the long run.''

The concept can only be realized if the chosen deer remain in their new habitat. Lopez isn't sure whether they will try to swim back to No Name Key, which is about a half-mile away, or permanently join the 10 to 15 deer that already live on Little Pine.

The 100 deer living on No Name Key are able to reach Big Pine Key and the 500 deer that live there via a two-lane bridge. An estimated 200 deer also reside on remote islands between Big Pine and Sugarloaf keys.

Lopez initially plans to relocate small family groups, pregnant deer and their yearlings, to help provide a sense of security and ensure that fawns are born in the new habitat. Mothers will be less likely to leave the island, Lopez said, because of their newborns.

Lopez said every effort is being made to ensure that relocating deer, especially those that are pregnant, isn't a traumatic event. For starters, the selected expectant deer are early in their pregnancies. Lopez said the complete relocating process takes no longer than 20 minutes between trapping deer in nets and restraining, processing, moving and releasing them.

Deer also are outfitted with radio transmitters attached to collars to track their progress and movement. Lopez and fellow researchers will track the relocated deer daily and document their findings.

Contrary to common belief that Big Pine Key boasts the only natural water source around in its popular Blue Hole, Lopez says Little Pine Key has numerous fresh water lenses suitable for deer. He and several assistants recently tested the water's salinity and dug a few holes to improve water flow. The vegetation also is thriving on Little Pine, Lopez said, between the abundant native plants, fruits and flowers.

Lopez's three-year study follows one done almost 30 years ago that determined much of the information known about the species. At the time, about 500 people lived on Big Pine and No Name keys versus almost 5,000 today.

Relocation wasn't an aspect of the original study, and many think Lopez's work is groundbreaking in terms of Key deer survival.