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MPA Stories
A Closer Look at Marine Protected AreasStories of Special PlacesOur marine protected areas have stories to tell about our nation's past – and future. Check out these stories of the natural world, and of history, exploration, shipwrecks, and conflict.  Alaska Maritime National Wildlife RefugeThe sheer span on Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is difficult to grasp. It ranges across most of the 47,300 miles of Alaska's coastline and includes 2,500 islands, islets, spires, rocks, reefs, waters and headlands.  Cabrillo National MonumentCabrillo National Monument is named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who led the first European expedition to explore what is now the West coast of the United States. Cabrillo departed in his flagship, the San Salvador, from the port of Navidad, Mexico on June 27, 1542 and three months later arrived at what is known today as San Diego Bay.  Dry Tortugas National ParkThe Dry Tortugas – about 70 miles west of Key West -- were discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. The route was frequently used by Spanish ships returning home from Mexico, the Caribbean or the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Fire Island National SeashoreFor decades, the first evidence of land for travelers crossing the vast Atlantic Ocean from Europe was the Fire Island Lighthouse. Completed in 1858 near the site of its 1826 predecessor, the current Fire Island Light is still a beacon attracting thousands of people each year.  Lewis and Clark National Wildlife RefugeThe islands and estuary of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge have always been a meeting place of waters and people. The Chinook and Cathlamet Indians were famed traders encountered by early European explorers and traders.  Pelican Island National Wildlife RefugeBy the end of the 19th century, the increased demand for bird feathers in the fashion industry resulted in the mass slaughter of herons, egrets, spoonbills and pelicans. At one point, plume feathers were worth more than gold!  Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological PreserveOn November 14, 1493, on his second voyage to the New World, Columbus came upon the island which the dominant Carib people called Cibuquiera ("the stony land"). He named it Santa Cruz or "Holy Cross".  San Juan Island National Historic ParkIn the San Juan Islands in Washington, the US and Canada nearly went to war over a pig. But let's start at the beginning. Long before the arrival of Europeans, the San Juan Island was home to the Coast Salish tribes, attracted by its temperate climate, rich soil, abundant timber and marine resources.  U-1105 Black Panther Historic Shipwreck PreserveThe U-1105 submarine began its wartime career when it was launched by Germany on April 20, 1944. It was an experimental design – less than ten were commissioned during the war -- that was outfitted with a synthetic rubber skin to counter Allied sonar devices, earning it the nickname "Black Panther."  Virgin Islands Coral Reef National MonumentThe Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument encompasses over half the island of St. John and almost all of Hassel Island preserving stories of the prehistoric past and over a hundred historic sites that together complete one the most undisturbed and comprehensive Caribbean landscapes. |
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