D-GULF+ISLANDS+NATIONAL+SEASHORE


 * ​Gulf Islands National Seashore**

__**Profile:**__

The Gulf Islands Naional Seashore streches from Santa Rosa Island in Florida to Cat Island in Mississippi and stretches 160 miles. It is located in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The two districts are only about a 2 hour drive apart. This National Seashore is open year round to guests and receives thousands of guests every year. The general climate is warm and sunny and the most humid months are June through September and visitors should bring rain gear as afternoon thunderstorms are expected during this time. Hurricane season starts June 1st and ends November 30th. There are many popular sites to see while you are visiting this National Seashore. If you enjoy snorkeling a must see is the 1906 shipwreck of the tugboat Sportwhich located on the bayside of Santa Rosa Island .9 miles east of the Fort Pickens Ranger Station. If you enjoy bird watching come visit on of the offshore barrier islands. The open beaches, dunes, freshwater marshes and wooded areas make for excellent places to bird watch. You may get to see an Eared Grebe that is common in these parts.

 The Gulf Islands became a National Seashore January 8, 1971. It is a natural site because the islands and bays are all the product of nature. It was not man made. Former President John Quincy Adams had a hand in helping the Gulf Islands to become a National Seashore when he established the first federal tree farm in the panhandle of Florida. This helped to make Gulf Islands a National Seashore because according to the document Constraints on the Development of National Seashores and Lakeshores: A Political Perspective "in most cases, national seashores and lakeshores were initially set aside with the support both of preservationists and a variety of economic and development recreation interests." Before the Gulf Islands became a National Seashore there had been many battles to gain control over it. The Gulf Islands was first discovered by the Europeans who had a difficult time gaining control over the region. Spain developed a settlement on Pensacola Bay in Florida in 1559 but soon abandoned it; however, they returned in 1698 to the settlement. They surrendered their land to the French in 1719 but reclaimed through a treaty in 1722. Then in 1763 the Spaniards gave up The Gulf Islands to the English; however in 1781 they regained it by force. Durig the time English was in control over the Gulf Islands it became a National Seashore.
 * __History: __**

The Native American tribe the Apaches are associated with the Gulf Islands National Seashore. About four hundred Apaches were exiled from their homeland in Arizona and placed in Florida along with other states during 1886. On November 16 Pensacola, Florida held approximently 17 Apache prisoners along with their wives and children. In Because of all the conflicts, settlements, and abandonments the Gulf Islands National Seashore is a historical site. It symbolizes the growth of Spanish exploration and colonization through WWII. In addition, it has many structures relating to the growth of seacoast defense in the U.S. that guests are welcome to visit.


 * __Environmental Issues __**

Gulf Islands National Seashore usually gets a good amount of rain. August brings the most precipitaion while October is the month with the least amount of rain. Throughout the summer months the highs generally are in the 90's and at night the temperatures fall into the 70's. During the winter months the highs are mostly in the 60's. The nights temperatures have lows in the 30's. The geology of the Gulf Islands is as followed. The sand of the Gulf Islands was eroded and washed down the rivers of the Appalachian Mountains; the sand is quartz. In addition, the quartz sand was pushed westward by the currents of the Gulf of Mexico buliding the sediments on the sea floor.

Their are many ecosystems that are in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Marine Grass Bed ecosystem grows all through the secluded seashore waters, where sandy bottoms, shell remains and still waters provide the suitable habitat. The Barrier Island ecosystem is located on Cat Island, East Ship Island, Horn Island and Petit Bois Island. This ecosystem has four primary communities. Those communities are beach/dune, interdunal, upland woody, and saltmarsh. The last ecosystem is the Upland/Lowland Hardwood and Pine ecosystem. It is an intricate ecosystem made up of many vegetative communities. This ecosystem is found in the Davis Bayou unit.

Amphibians, reptiles and mammals reside in the Islands of the Gulf. In fact, it is listed as a National Watchable Wildlife Area. Federal laws protect all of the wild animals within the park. Some examples of the animals you may see are the Black Skimmer and the Southern Toad. There is also plantlife in the Gulf Islands. The plants sea grass and cattails are common.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> If you decide to visit the Gulf Islands National Seashore there are many things to do.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Recreational Activities __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Stay in either a developed or primitive island campground
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Bicycle
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Swim
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Snorkel
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Fish
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Hike
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Bird watch
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Boating

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__ Works Cited __

Apache man. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 20 Feb. 2010.

Appalachian Mountains. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

Cat Island. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 20 Feb. 2010.

Cattails. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

Davis Bayou, Nature's Way Trail, Mississippi. Digital image. //Outdoor Activities//. NPS. Web. 21 Feb.2010. <http://www. nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/outdooractivities.htm>. // Explore Your Own Backyard 2 //. WSRE. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. <utube.com>. // Explore Your Own Backyard //. WSRE. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. <utube.com>. // FLORIDA NATIONAL PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS //. GOCAMPINGUSA.com. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. []. // Geology //. Park Net- National Park Service, 6 Jan. 2003. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. []. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Good Morning America. Utube.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. // Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida //. Hikercentral.com. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. []. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Gulf Islands National Seashore sign. Digital image. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. []. // Gulf Islands National Seashore //. StateParks.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.[]. //<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Gulf Islands National Seashore //<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">. Wikitravel, 8 Jan. 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. []. //<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Gulf Islands //<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">. U.S. National Park Service, 12 Feb. 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2010.[]. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> John Adams. Digital image. //The White House President Barack Obama//. The WhiteHouse.gov. Web. 20. Feb. 2010. []. A National Park Service lifeguard watches visitors in the Gulf of Mexico. Digital image.//Swimming//. NPS. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. []. // National Park Service //. Utube.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. Park rangers lead summer programs that help visitors learn about the. Digital image. //Things to do//. NPS. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. []. The Pensacola Historical Museum. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. Santa Rosa Island. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. Seagrass. Digital image. Google Search Engine. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.

Southern toad (Bufo terrestris). Digital image. NPS. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.[]. Sullivan, B. L. Eared Grebe. Digital image. //Eared Grebe//. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2004. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. []. Zdravkovic, Margo. A black skimmer wades in the swash zone. Digital image. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. <http://www.nps.gov/guis/naturescience/animals.htm>.