Submerged Cultural Resources
Submerged Cultural Resource Preservation
Since the 1970s, the submerged cultural resources in the Dry Tortugas have been surveyed by underwater Archaeology survey crews. GIS based, remote sensing and site testing has occurred at known sites.
Most recently, in August of 2009, the Everglades and Dry Tortugas Dive team, along with the Submerged Cultural Resources Unit joined together to conduct archaeological condition assessments on the documented submerged cultural resources sites. The crew located or re-located the known sites and collected digital images and video of the submerged cultural resources. In addition, the crew identified new sites that had not previously been recorded in past surveys.
Many recovered anchors, canons, and other objects are now housed in the South Florida Collections Management Center managed by the Everglades National Park or at the Southeast Archaeological Center (SEAC) in Tallahassee, Florida.
Did You Know?
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.