The Seashore is sunny and warm most of the year. ![]() It's now illegal to remove plant life from the sand dunes. Hurricanes Erin and Opal in 1995 destroyed most of the dune habitat on the islands in Florida, but replanting efforts of sea oats and grass have slowly started to bring the dunes back. ![]() Before this relationship between grass and dunes was understood, the plants were treated as a weed and were removed, leaving the dunes vulnerable to hurricanes. The islands host a unique dune habitat wind and waves blow sand into large piles, which are held in place by the root systems of beach grass and sea oats. Today, the lack of condominiums on Perdido Key can be attributed to the beach mouse. The most well-known is the Perdido Key beach mouse, a tiny mouse that lives in the sand dunes, and which was the cause of arguments and lawsuits between developers, residents, environmentalists, and the park service. There are twenty endangered species that live in the park. Human development on the islands scared away many of the sea turtles, but conservation efforts have increased the number of nests in the park almost tenfold. Of the seven species of sea turtles, four nest at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Sand dunes form naturally near the coast, and further inland, scraggly pine tree forests make a living among the sandy soil. These islands are famous for their natural, bright white sand, which is composed of quartz and washes down from the Appalachian Mountains. With the exception of the Naval Live Oaks Preservation in Florida and Davis Bayou in Mississippi, which are on the mainland, the Gulf Islands National Seashore is located on barrier islands. The Mississippi islands were added to the park later, in 1978, in order to protect the pristine natural habitats there from development. This led to the authorization of the Gulf Islands National Seashore on January 8, 1971, in order to protect the forest and all the government-owned islands nearby for future generations. government reasserted its right to the forest in court after Florida attempted to sell the land to private citizens. government during the Adams administration, in order to ensure a continuous supply of the wood for the navy who preferred the hard, curved wood for ship hulls. This forest of curvy live oaks was purchased in 1828 by the U.S. The Naval Live Oaks Reservation on the mainland is a relic of the era of wooden ships. Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, and the ruins of Fort McRee are all part of the National Seashore, and all were important during the Civil War. on Santa Rosa Island this later became the city of Pensacola. In Florida, Don Tristan de Luna founded the first attempt at a Spanish settlement in the mainland U.S. The Gulf Islands National Seashore includes many areas of historical interest. Many areas are closed with storm damage - the list changes frequently, so check right before you plan to visit. ![]() Gulf Islands National Seashore offers historical exploration, camping, recreational options and some of the finest white sand beaches. The two state units are about a two hour drive apart. This 12-unit National Park protects barrier islands along the Gulf Coast of the states of Mississippi and Florida islands in Alabama are not included, and are part of state parks instead. Gulf Islands National Seashore is a National Seashore along the Gulf of Mexico in the United States of America.
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