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

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