bout
the Gulf of Mexico Region's Environmental Program
As part of the MMS’s national environmental program, the
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region manages scientific studies that help us better
understand the marine and coastal environment and the potential effects of our
activities on this environment.
In the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, the Environmental Program includes
- The Environmental Sciences Section plans, implements, and manages the
Environmental Studies Program for the Gulf of Mexico Region and the Atlantic
Region.
- The Environmental Assessment Section (the Social
Sciences, Mapping, and NEPA/CZM Coordination Units)
About $5 million is spent annually in the Gulf of
Mexico OCS Region to fund research in biology, ecology, marine archaeology,
physical oceanography, protected species, and socioeconomics.
National Program
The MMS supports an extensive program of scientific
studies. At the national level, the
MMS's Environmental
Sciences Branch provides policy guidance and program direction and oversight
for the MMS
Environmental Studies Program and the
MMS Oil Spill Modeling
Program. It also provides national level coordination with research
managers in the Department of the Interior, other Federal agencies and
coordinating committees, and non-Federal research organizations.