Dry Tortugas National Park
Eco Discovery Center
Few marine environments in the U.S. compare to the Florida Keys in terms of natural beauty and natural resources. The most extensive living coral reef in the United States in adjacent to the 126 mile island chain of the Florida Keys. The Keys are located on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, beginning just south of Key Biscayne and ending just 90 miles north of Cuba. These coral reefs are intimately linked to the marine ecosystem that supports one of the most unique and diverse assemblages of plants and animals in North America. The 288 square nautical mile Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary surrounds the entire archipelago of the Florida Keys and includes the productive waters of Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
News from the Parks
December 4, 2008 - 3:10pm
Civil rights leaders gathered Wednesday to declare that they had finally overcome their money obstacles and raised more than $100 million to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
December 4, 2008 - 3:08pm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver said bear management and education of the public must take place in order to decrease harmful bear and human encounters.
December 4, 2008 - 3:05pm
Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.
December 4, 2008 - 3:04pm
D.C. police are warning travelers of street closures near the White House during the afternoon rush hour for the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
December 4, 2008 - 3:01pm
Chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, could devastate local deer populations, and National Park Service officials want to be prepared if the disease makes its way inside the boundaries of Monocacy and Antietam national battlefields.


