History of visitor use and management of Anemone Cave, Acadia National Park, Maine

Motley, Madeline; Rambach, Ariana

From introduction: "This paper focuses on Acadia National Park's Anemone Cave whose biological diversity has attracted visitors for over a hundred years. Exploration of the cave began in the 1870s and by the 1900s the site had been identified as a point of interest on Mount Desert Island. The establishment of Acadia National Park and growth of park infrastructure further expanded tourist activities within the site. The Park Service promoted visitation to Anemone Cave, but by the late 1960s concerns that frequent visitation was having negative effects on the marine life were raised. Between the summer of 1969 and 1971 the National Park Service remove Anemone Cave from the park issued maps and brochures. Sign and rails were also taken down around the same time to discourage visitation. Beginning in the 1980s, several biological surveys were performed in an effort monitor marine species abundance and distribution. In particular, these studies focused on the three species of anemones present in the cave. Along with biological surveying, visitor use studies were periodically conducted to monitor the use of Anemone Cave and the potential damage from its visitors. Currently, research projects by the Park Service and undergraduate students continue to monitor the biological standing and visitor use. The primary questions paper will addresses include: - When did Anemone Cave begin being utilized as a tourist attraction? - What kind of use did it receive? - When was the management decision made to take it off the map? - How it is currently being managed to control visitor impact?"