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Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park. Jonathan Sanders APUSH Period 7. About Dry Tortugas.

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Dry Tortugas National Park

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  1. Dry TortugasNational Park Jonathan Sanders APUSH Period 7

  2. About Dry Tortugas • Almost 70 miles west of Key West lies a group of seven islands, made up of coral reefs and sand.The seven keys (Garden, Loggerhead, Bush, Long, East, Hospital, and Middle) are known as the Dry Tortugas, are situated on the edge of the main shipping channel between the Gulf of Mexico, the western Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. This is what makes up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, its legends of pirates and sunken gold, and its military past.

  3. Research and Studies • A Research Natural Area (RNA) was established in the Dry Tortugas January 19, 2007. The RNA adds a new layer of protection for the marine resources of Dry Tortugas National Park. The RNA is a 46 square mile ecological preserve that provides a sanctuary for species affected by fishing and loss of habitat.

  4. Fort Jefferson • A large military fortress, Fort Jefferson, was constructed in the mid-19th century in effort for the United States to protect the extremely lucrative shipping channel. The strategic location of the Dry Tortugas brought a large number of ships through its waters as they connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Early on, the shipping channel was used among Spanish explorers and merchants traveling along the Gulf Coast.

  5. Dangers of Dry Tortugas • Low and flat, these islands and reefs are a serious hazard to ships passing through the 75-mile-wide straits between the gulf and the ocean. These reefs have created a natural “ship trap” and have been the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.  A lighthouse was constructed at Garden Key in 1825 to warn incoming ships of the dangerous reefs and later, a bricktower lighthouse was built on Loggerhead Key in 1858 for the same purpose.

  6. Climate • Dry Tortugas has a subtropical climate. Temperatures range from the mid-50s to mid-80s. April and May are often good times to visit. There are essentially two seasons: The winter season (December-March), which can be windy with rough seas, and the tropical storm season (June-November) during which Dry Tortugas experiences both hot, humid weather and calm seas or severe weather events.

  7. Did You Know? • The safe harbor of the Dry Tortugas provided a valuable staging ground for numerous military ships in the buildup to the Spanish-American War. • The Carnegie Institute's Laboratory for Marine Biology was established among the Dry Tortugas in 1905. Based on Loggerhead Key, this research facility laid the foundation for 20th century tropical marine science, with an emphasis on coral reef systems. • Despite over 30 years of construction, massive Fort Jefferson was never truly completed on the islands of the Dry Tortugas. Advances in weapon technology would make the fort become obsolete by 1862.

  8. The Dry Tortugas

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