Dry Tortugas Reef Research Paper

The marine life that is found at Dry Tortugas is like no other National Park in the United

States. The most significant animal found, and some would say the parks mascot is the sea turtle.

Various breeds of sea turtle can be found on this island park. Here at the Dry Tortugas National

Park, is a sea turtle sanctuary offering extensive protections for the animal and its habitat. The

two main breeds that inhabit the waters are the Green sea turtle and the Loggerhead sea turtle

Besides the Fort, the coral reefs are the most popular feature of the park. In fact, the park

plays home to the second largest coral reef in the world, only trailing the Great Barrier Reef in

Australia. Vequist notes that the Dry Tortugas reef is “The healthiest

and most colorful coral

reefs in the contiguous forty-eight states.”

Foundationally, the coral that comprises the world renown reef is comprised of micro

organisms known as polyps. These polyps join together and secrete a calcium shell that forms an

skeleton of sorts. From there, over the course of thousands of years, a reef forms from these

skeletons. The afore mentioned Green sea turtles have a symbiotic relationship with these coral

reefs, the turtles help maintain the health of the reef by feeding on algae that could could damage

the reef.

Dry Tortugas also includes many native bird populations. The Sooty Tern and the Frigate

bird are two significant birds that inhabit the area. According to Vequist, around 300.000 Sooty

Terns nest at Dry Tortugas, the only regular nesting site for the species in the United States.

The park hosts the largest gathering of Frigate Birds in North America.Various regulations

have been put into place over time to protect these sea birds. An 1908 Executive order

established the Dry Tortugas Keys Reservation to protect nesting birds. This order provides

protections for nationally significant seabird nesting as well as migratory bird habitats.

Being an island park with over 99 percent salt water, this marine environment provides a

nourishing habitat for over three hundred species of tropical fish and countless invertebrates.

The extensive list of fish species makes Dry Tortugas a destination for snorkeling and divers. As

mentioned, the massive coral reefs are ideal habitats for such species. Though the coral reefs, in

perspective makes up a small amount of the marine ecosystem. Various types of fish groups are

present in the Dry Tortugas. Such fish include schooling fish, reef fishes and open water fishes

are the most prevalent in the area.

Aesthetically, Dry Tortugas National Park is unlike any other National Park. It is a series

of islands surrounded by salt water. Its subtropical climate is a stark contrast to other more

traditional parks like Yellowstone. With the series of islands surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico,

each element of this paradise park, its water, the waters contents, the flora and fauna that make

the park what it is attribute to its aesthetic beauty.

Natural disaster is around every corner with Dry Tortugas. Its location in the Gulf of

Mexico makes it a prime target for Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Depressions and Tropical

Cyclones, with flooding at every stage. Natural disasters many times disrupted the operation of

Dry Tortugas. A 1910 Hurricane halted work on the Navy Coaling Station. Fires have also

been apart of the history of Dry Tortugas. A 1912 fire destroyed the enlisted quarters of the

fort. Furthermore, a 1927 fire destroyed the officer’s quarters.

In modern times, hurricanes are still the scourge of the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Charley, a

major storm that hit in 2008 as particularly devastating. Hurricane Charley was named the fifth

costliest storm to make landfall in the United States. It was the last major storm to make direct

contact with the chain of islands. The hurricane was category four and sustained winds of one

hundred and fifty mile winds. Dry Tortugas saw a storm surge of up to six feet.

Man has intervened at every turn when it comes to Dry Tortugas. Many of these

interventions are irreversible and detrimental towards the preexisting flora and fauna that make

the park distinctive. This brings up a theme that is often times discussed through the lens of the

National Parks Service, to concern unimpaired. Considering what is being destroyed through

human intervention is many times overlooked.

Various forms of criminality can be attributed to Dry Tortugas. Policing illegal activities

is particularly challenging. Surrounded by a thousand square miles of ocean there is only one

source of law enforcement. It is illegal to fish or extract any animals from the parks waters and

many poachers find themselves drifting into park waters from the periphery. Moreover, there is

a backup of felony warrants that have to wait for the coast guard to make their way down to

apprehend and take the culprit away.Many of these illegal activities are enforced with the

primary goal of protecting the marine ecosystem of Dry Tortugas. As Vequist states, “Within this

area no fishing or other harvest is allowed and boats are not allowed to anchor, all in an effort to

better protect the marine ecosystem.”

With the backup of warrants many rangers attempt to exhaust all other measures before

warrants are issued. Few commercial fisherman are tagged for illegal fishing practices to close

to park boundaries. Lobsters are also a source of extensive criminal activity. Rangers often rely

on GPS to track down illegal activity, but the system itself is often times ineffective and

unreliable. If maintaining its equipment and primitive technologies is expensive, keeping up

with the new and latest technologies is an unattainable goal. Regulations regarding the taking of

lobsters and queen conches are especially severe. Divers taking lobsters will be fined thirty

dollars per lobster and amazingly, five hundred dollars per queen conch.

Modern treasure hunters also plague the park. With the over three hundred shipwrecks

that pepper this collection of islands, divers and hunters scour the waters for anything that they

deem valuable. This has led to efforts on the part of the parks service to begin surveying the

surrounding waters for anything culturally or historically valuable.

Tourism is a force to be reckoned with, especially in the case of Dry Tortugas National

Park. James Conway states, “a romantic evocation of unspoiled reefs and unblemished maritime

landscapes that is illusory and threatened by a phenomenon—tourism—today more powerful and

persistent than a hurricane.” Uniquely only accessible by boat or seaplane, Dry Tortugas is

experiencing a severe uptick in tourism that is having far reaching consequences in many areas.

Furthermore, camping is one of the prime activities on this island park, which comes with its

own set of problems. Moreover, being in a subtropical climate, visitors are inevitably going to

engage with the water, whether it be snorkeling, diving or swimming.

Further adding to the discussion of public history, is the presence of the Dry

Tortugas

Museum. Located on Key West, this museum offers some valuable information regarding the

Park, though from the website, it seems like more of a tourist attraction. The designation of it as

a tourist attraction stems from the description on the website as a “free attraction.” This museum

is operated by Yankee Freedom, the operating fleet of ferries that go between Key West and

Loggerhead Key. The most important offerings of the Dry Tortugas Museum is a detailed

discussion of the natural resources on the island chain.