If you've recently visited any of the national parks in Florida, or the national seashores on the Gulf Coast, or even Channel Islands National Park, Cape Lookout National Seashore, or Cape Hatteras National Seashore, you might wonder why all the fuss over the removal of the brown pelican from the Endangered Species List.

Neon-hued parrotfish. Graceful angelfish the size of dinner platters. Delicate sponges that sway in the currents. Coral communities teeming with colorful marine life. Our fascination with the oceans and their denizens has led Congress to include within the National Park System some of the nation’s most incredible and beautiful marine ecosystems. Ninety-five percent of Biscayne National Park, for instance, is underwater.

While there was ample advance notice of U.S. postage stamps honoring Zion and Grand Teton national parks earlier this year, a stamp in honor of Dry Tortugas National Park slipped right by Traveler's notice.

Take this week’s quiz and find out if you’re up to snuff on national park names. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you say Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau over and over until you can pronounce it correctly.

There was an essay recently that brought to my attention a startling figure: Even though there are nearly 1,700 marine protected areas in U.S. territorial waters, 99.9 percent of all our territorial waters were open to fishing in 2008.

Rehabilitation projects, invasive species eradication and biodiversity research were among the $27 million worth of Centennial Initiative projects for the National Park System announced Tuesday by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and NPS Director Mary Bomar.

Coral reefs and desert islands, legends of pirates and sunken gold, an old military fort that housed a famous prisoner, and world-class bird watching—you'll find them all at this park.

Imagine Yosemite National Park without Yosemite Fall. Or Glacier National Park without glaciers. Or Old Faithful becoming less faithful. Across the National Park System, the effects of climate change could be quite dramatic.

Planning a national park visit during the winter months is not as easy as it might seem. Do you pack your long johns, or your swimsuit?

You ever wonder where place names originate? I mean, Hog Key Campsite in Everglades National Park? And University Dock in Biscayne National Park? What were they thinking?