Gulf of Mexico Initiative

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.

Satellite photo of Hurricane Katrina
© CIMSS/SSEC

Gulf of Mexico News

• Conservancy’s Statement on the Impact of the Hurricanes in the Gulf Coast Region
• Conservancy and Partners Propose Renewed Coastal Conservation in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
• Louisiana Coastal and Marine Conservation Program in the Wake of Hurricanes
• Texas Assessing Damage from Hurricane Rita

How We're Helping

Nature Conservancy Staff, Volunteers Help with Hurricane Relief Effort

How You Can Help

Support our work to restore the natural ecosystems damaged by the hurricanes.

Did you know?

• 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.

Ecoregional Plan

Identification of Priority Sites for Conservation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: An Ecoregional Plan
(.pdf, 1.5 MB, new window)

Contact Us

Rafael Calderon, Director
The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico Initiative
P.O. Box 2563
Corpus Christi, Texas 78403
Phone: (361) 882-3584
Fax: (361) 882-8561
rafael_calderon@tnc.org