Submerged cemetery at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas

Presentation is free and open to the public.
Our guest speaker will be Joshua Marano, an archaeologist with South Florida National Parks.
The recent discovery of the archeological remains of a now submerged yellow fever hospital and post cemetery at Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park led to a myriad of interesting research questions and management challenges. Additionally, park staff have worked to document, transcribe, and interpret the stories of more than 200 men, women, and children who died at Fort Jefferson and to make meaningful connections with current generations, utilizing genealogical research to identify possible descendants. Management efforts have also focused on the development of partnerships with the U.S. Army to develop means to document, interpret, protect, and memorialize those who perished at Fort Jefferson.

Joshua Marano is currently a maritime archaeologist for Biscayne, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks working in various capacities since 2012. He is a graduate of East Carolina University’s program in Maritime Studies and earned an MA degree in maritime history and nautical archaeology. He has participated in several major maritime projects including digital recording of the Swedish warship Vasa in Stockholm, Sweden, the excavation of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck and the documentation of the British warship HMS Fowey in the Florida Keys, as well as a number of projects throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. Mr. Marano is an active member of the US Coast Guard where he serves as a Chief Petty Officer at USCG Station Fort Lauderdale, FL
For more information, please visit MatecumbeHistoricalTrust.org or call 305-393-0940.