Dry Tortugas National Park
Bio
Website: http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm
Location: P.O. Box 6208 Key West, FL 33041
Phone: 305-242-7700
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Dry-Tortugas-National-Park/179873008690852
Twitter: @DryTortugasNPS
Human History
The first European to see the Dry Tortugas was Juan Ponce de León, who visited on June 21, 1513. Ponce de León caught 160 sea turtles there and subsequently referred to the islands as the "Tortugas" (turtles). They are called Dry owing to the absence of surface fresh water on the island. The archipelago includes a high concentration of historically significant shipwrecks dating from the 17th century to the present. The Dry Tortugas were a significant American naval base from Colonial times to the early 20th century, providing a sheltered anchorage and coaling station through the Spanish-American War.
Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1822. The Dry Tortugas were seen as a strategic point for the control of the Florida Straits and the Gulf of Mexico. Work on a lighthouse on Garden Key started in 1825. Planning for a fortification began almost immediately, and construction started in 1847. In 1856 work on a new, more powerful lighthouse on Loggerhead Key was started to replace the Garden Key light.
Work was half complete in 1860. Construction continued into the American Civil War, but eventually stopped and the fort was used as a military prison. This use continued until 1874. With the introduction of coal-fueled ships, the Dry Tortugas became a coaling station for US Navy ships.
Geologic History
Late Paleozoic Era – During the Mississippian, the landmass that would underlie
the grand carbonate platform of Florida today was not attached to the North
American Craton. It is speculated that it was attached to the northwest portion of
the African continent . However, marine carbonates
were being deposited over large portions of the area atop a Paleozoic age
crystalline basement high, the Peninsular Arch . In the
Pennsylvanian, a collision event, known as the Ouachita orogeny sutured the
Florida landmass to the continent as Gondwanaland and North America collided
eventually forming the supercontinent Pangaea. The land was still submerged
and south Florida was located at the junction of the North American, South
American, and African plates. Through the Permian, Pangaea remained intact
Early Mesozoic Era – No sooner had Pangaea formed than it began to break up.
During the late Triassic, South and Central America and Africa began to rift away
from North America. This established the long- standing passive margin of the
eastern seaboard that persists today. The Florida and Cuba blocks detached
from northwest Africa and the Gulf of Mexico opened .
Accompanying the rifting of Pangaea was the widespread extrusion of volcanic
rocks consistent with mantle plume upwelling due to crustal tension
. This continental rifting also opened the
Atlantic Ocean basin.
Middle Mesozoic Era - Underlying the south Florida basin are igneous rhyolitic
- basaltic rocks. These rocks were subaerially exposed and
eroded during the late Triassic to middle Jurassic. This caused the formation of
redbeds locally. As the Atlantic Ocean continued to develop, deltaic and shallow
marine sediments were deposited in the late Jurassic. Restriction of marine
circulation at this time resulted in periodic accumulations of evaporites and
marine carbonates . Deposition of Jurassic and Cretaceous
sediments was controlled by the south- southeast plunging axis of the Peninsular
Arch. Basal sediments onlap and pinch out against the arch.
Late Mesozoic Era – As marine transgression proceeded during the early
Cretaceous, the Florida Platform was the site of more widespread deposition of marine limestones and reefs. Further transgression and global warming during
the Late Cretaceous established an open marine accumulation of carbonates over
the entire Florida Peninsula.
Biomes
There are coral reefs there, as well as sandbars and beaches
The islets are largely coastal, little more than beach, some with a few trees
Fort Jefferson is on the largest island (which is also very tiny)
Dry tortugas national park ecological balance
- Cars
- Camping
- Turtles
More stuff
The biotic will definitely be Coral Reef. Abiotic will be the ocean.
Anmials?
sea turtles, nurse sharks, reef fishes, and 299 species of birds.
Endangered animals?
Manatee, West Indian
Trichechus manatus
E*
Sea Turtle, Green
Chelonia mydas
E
Sea Turtle, Hawksbill
Eretmochelys imbricata
E
Sea Turtle, Kemp’s Ridley
Lepidochelys kempi
E*
Sea Turtle, Leatherback
Dermochelys coriacea
E*
Seal, Caribbean Monk
Monachus triopicalis
E**
Whale, Finback
Balaenoptera physalus
E*
Whale, Humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae
E*
Whale, Right
Balaena glacialis (incl. australis)
E*
Free time at park
Go snokerling. vist park fully. go camping.
whole week?
The campground is a self-service fee area with a nightly fee of $3 per person.
1) guided fishing trips, 2) dive and/or snorkeling trips, 3) guided wildlife viewing trips and 4) sailing charters
Palestine, TX
1.
Head southwest on Avenue A toward N Sycamore Stgo 230 ft
total 230 ft
2.
Turn left onto N Sycamore Stgo 39 ft
total 269 ft
3.
Take the 1st left onto E Spring St
About 2 mins
go 0.2 mi
total 0.3 mi
4.
Turn right onto TX-19 S/U.S. 287 S/N Mallard St
Continue to follow TX-19 S/U.S. 287 S
About 39 mins
go 34.9 mi
total 35.2 mi
5.
Turn left onto E Goliad Avego 138 ft
total 35.2 mi
6.
Take the 1st right onto S 5th St
About 46 secs
go 0.2 mi
total 35.5 mi
7.
Take the 2nd left onto U.S. 287 S/E Bowie Ave
Continue to follow U.S. 287 S
About 1 hour 15 mins
go 75.6 mi
total 111 mi
8.
Turn right onto U.S. 287 S/US-69 S/N Magnolia St
Continue to follow U.S. 287 S/US-69 S
About 50 mins
go 44.3 mi
total 155 mi
9.
Keep left at the fork and merge onto U.S. 287 S/US-69 S/US-96 S
About 9 mins
go 9.8 mi
total 165 mi
10.
Take the exit on the left onto I-10 E toward Lake Charles
Entering Louisiana
About 2 hours 42 mins
go 187 mi
total 352 mi
11.
Keep left to continue on I-12 E, follow signs for Hammond
About 1 hour 15 mins
go 85.2 mi
total 437 mi
12.
Take exit 85C on the left to merge onto I-10 E toward Bay St Louis
Passing through Mississippi, Alabama
Entering Florida
About 6 hours 14 mins
go 445 mi
total 882 mi
13.
Take exit 296A to merge onto I-75 S toward Tampa
About 1 hour 30 mins
go 108 mi
total 990 mi
14.
Keep left to continue on FL-91 S, follow signs for Orlando/Turnpike S
Partial toll road
About 3 hours 45 mins
go 261 mi
total 1,252 mi
15.
Take the exit toward Homestead
Toll road
About 1 min
go 0.9 mi
total 1,253 mi
16.
Merge onto Florida 821 Toll S
Partial toll road
About 42 mins
go 46.4 mi
total 1,299 mi
17.
Exit on the left onto FL-5 S/U.S. 1 S/NE 1st Ave toward Key W
Continue to follow FL-5 S/U.S. 1 S
Partial toll road
About 2 hours 32 mins
go 124 mi
total 1,423 mi
18.
Turn right onto N Roosevelt Blvd
About 4 mins
go 2.3 mi
total 1,425 mi
19.
Turn left onto 1st Stgo 187 ft
total 1,425 mi
20.
Take the 1st right onto Vivian Stgo 354 ft
total 1,425 mi
21.
Turn left onto George St
About 58 secs
go 0.2 mi
total 1,425 mi
22.
Turn right onto South Stgo 171 ft
total 1,426 mi
Key West, FL