https://oceanconservancy.org/restoring-the-gulf-of-mexico/
https://oceanconservancy.org/action-center/
The Gulf of Mexico is one of those places—astoundingly beautiful, biodiverse and teeming with life–that captures your heart and your imagination. Whale sharks meander through its waters, bottlenose dolphins jump through its currents and sea turtles nest on its beaches. As one of the most staggeringly productive places on this planet, the Gulf is home to fish, coral, whales, sea turtles, dolphins and thousands of bird species.
The Gulf is also a major engine for our local and national economy—species like oysters, shrimp and crabs drive a robust fishing industry, while recreational fishing and tourism depend on the Gulf’s brilliant waters. For nearly 87 million people, the Gulf is home, it’s a way of life and it has its own local cultures and communities. So many people rely on its unique habitats.
These are just a few reasons why we love the Gulf.
The Problem
The Gulf is now more vulnerable than ever.
The course of Gulf history was forever changed with the worst environmental disaster the U.S. has ever seen. The BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster leaked 210 million gallons of oil and 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersants into the Gulf, coating, sickening and killing wildlife. The oil disaster also paralyzed the local economy and distressed communities along its shores.
The Gulf is now more vulnerable than ever.
Today, the Gulf continues to face ongoing threats such as invasive species, extreme storms and flooding, and land loss. Future issues like sea level rise and a growing coastal population add further stress to the people and wildlife who call the Gulf home.
Our Solutions
The future is brighter
Right now, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore the Gulf of Mexico, not only to recover from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, but to create a stronger, healthier Gulf than before.
With technology like seafloor mapping, dedicated marine mammal rehabilitation crews, policy leaders and thousands of supporters like you, we can not only restore the Gulf, but ensure its continued resiliency in the face of future threats.
The Gulf can help us to set an example for future restoration efforts and for other areas struggling with climate change impacts. We are committed to coordination with all willing partners, to ensure sustained resiliency of the Gulf for the communities and marine life who call it home.
We’re working to restore the Gulf as a whole, including the deep waters beyond the shore where the BP oil disaster began, and to ensure that billions of dollars in Deepwater Horizon settlements are appropriately used to achieve that vision.
Our work will help hundreds of marine birds, dolphins and whales recover from the BP oil disaster and decades of environmental stress.
Restoring the Gulf will ensure that sea turtles have clean and healthy nesting grounds for future generations.
Ocean Conservancy has worked in the Gulf for over two decades and now, and more than ever, we are committed to science-based restoration plans that go beyond the BP oil disaster and address the Gulf as one interconnected ecosystem.
Get Involved
You can make the difference!
We depend on people like you to advocate for a healthy future for the Gulf.
Help us ensure the $16 billion in restoration funds are appropriately used to restore the Gulf region, and the $1 billion open ocean fund is used properly to restore the Gulf beyond the shore, where the BP oil disaster began.