Gulf of Mexico

Gulf Coast Relief Telethon: Thanks for tuning in to the telethon on CNN’s Larry King Live!
More than $1.8 million was raised to support The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation
and United Way in efforts to restore the Gulf.

The Mississippi River delta and river channel below New Orleans, LouisianaJust Released: Gulf Report

Our new report highlights immediate actions steps that can help restore the Gulf Coast. Learn more >>

 

Download PDF (2.4 MB).

Interactive Gulf MapInteractive Gulf Map

Explore this map to learn more about our Gulf projects, how we’re responding to the oil spill, and our vision for restoring the Gulf. Learn more. 

Restoring the Gulf CoastMission: Restoration

In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, the Conservancy is working to restore the Gulf’s health, productivity and resilience. Learn how you can help us complete this work. 

Oyster ReefOyster Reefs: Protecting the Gulf

Discover our work to restore oyster reefs now threatened in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the South. Learn More.

Our Work in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a large oceanic basin that borders five U.S. states — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — to the north, and Mexico’s eastern shoreline and the Yucatán Peninsula to the south. To the east it is bordered by the island of Cuba that covers part of the entrance to the Gulf, creating a swirl of in- and out-flowing ocean currents.

Because of its considerable size and diversity of habitat types, the Gulf of Mexico is home to a highly diverse and valuable array of natural resources, including nesting waterfowl, colonial waterbird rookeries, sea turtles, and fisheries all supported by the abundant bays, estuaries, tidal flats and barrier islands of the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2000, The Nature Conservancy completed an ecoregional plan (.pdf, new window, 1.5 MB), which identified a network of priority sites that, if protected, would fully represent the marine biological diversity of the coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Help the Gulf

Donate Now!

Your gift will support our long-term restoration efforts across the Gulf coast that go well beyond simply responding to the oil spill.

Our Story in the Gulf

Photos from the Gulf
See incredible images of the Gulf oil spill from photographer Bridget Besaw.

Go Deeper

Restoring Alabama's Gulf coast
Nature.org talks with Jeff DeQuattro, NOAA ARRA Project Manager in Alabama. Read the conversation and listen to his interivew from July 21 on the Hill and Dale radio show.

Where Oysters Grew on Trees
Author Rowan Jacobson and Conservancy marine scientist Mike Beck explain how oysters are so much more than just an appetizer. Read more >>

Op-Ed in NY Times
NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman visits the Gulf and outlines three things the U.S. Senate should do right now to help. Read more >>

Did You Know?

  • The Gulf of Mexico is estimated to cover nearly 600,000 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers).
  • The Gulf of Mexico ranks ninth among the world’s seas in size.
  • The drainage basin for the northern Gulf of Mexico extends from the Appalachians to the Rockies.
  • The Gulf of Mexico region contains nearly 60% of the land area of the continental United States, including some of the most fertile lands in the world.
  • The Gulf of Mexico is considered one of 49 Large Marine Ecosystems around the world.

 

Nature Picture Credits (top to bottom, left to right): © Bridget Besaw (Gulf Oil Spill); © Bridget Besaw (Gulf Oil Spill); © Ingrid Taylor via Flickr/CC license (Seagull); © Bridget Besaw (Gulf Oil Spill); © Bridget Besaw (Gulf Oil Spill); © TNC (Oyster reefs)