Gateway to the Gulf

Gateway to the Gulf. Fort Jefferson. The Dry Tortugas keys sit at the crossroads of biologically rich sea currents, migratory bird routes, and strategic shipping lanes that link the eastern United States with Gulf Coast ports like New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola. From tiny coral polyps and small songbirds to large sea turtles and a massive 1800s fortification, this national park protects an array of America's natural and historic treasures at the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico., A naval force designed to control the navigation of the Gulf could not desire a better position than Key West or the Tortugas. , Commodore John Roger, Report of July 3, 1829, (captions) , Thousands of songbirds, seabirds, stop in the Dry Tortugas to rest as they migrate between the Northern and Southern hemispheres., The Dry Tortugas provided the US military with a deepwater anchorage and a site for a fort to protect the mainland and shipping lanes linking the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Atlantic ports. Fort Jefferson, begun in 1846 and never finished, remained a Union fortification during the Civil War., The park’s reefs, among the most vibrant in the Florida Keys, consist of over 75 species of hard and soft corals. Over 98% of this 100-square mile park is open ocean.