Alligator sunning at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Steve Hillebrand.

Gulf Restoration

Restoring the Gulf of Mexico and its Wild Inhabitants

The Gulf of Mexico is critically important to the health and vitality of our nation’s natural and economic resources. Over the last century, however, the Gulf’s environment has deteriorated significantly due to factors such as:

  • Climate Change
  • Sea-level rise
  • Loss of critical wetlands and coastal habitats
  • Decreasing water quality and quantity
  • Invasive species

Natural disasters like hurricanes, and man-made disasters like oil spills, exacerbate the damage.

As a result, native fish and wildlife populations and their habitats are in decline, imperiling the very fabric that supports the area’s vibrant economy. In order to achieve a healthy Gulf of Mexico, the Service recognizes conservation must occur throughout the greater Gulf watershed. Society’s investment in the Gulf of Mexico will be at risk if we restore the coastal region but fail to address systemic problems that originate upstream.

Restoring this vital area will ensure America continues to thrive well into and beyond the 21st century.

Documents

  1. 2018

    Gulf Restoration After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Efforts of the U.S. Department of Interior and Partners in Mississippi
  2. 2018

    Gulf Restoration After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Efforts of the U.S. Department of Interior and Partners in Texas
  3. 2018

    National Wildlife Refuge System
  4. 2018

    The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
  5. 2018

    Southeast Region snapshot
  6. 2017

    Roles relating to funds from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
  7. 2017

    The Service's involvement in gulf restoration
  8. 2017

    Hurricane Maria
  9. 2017

    Hurricane Irma and sea turtles
  10. 2017

    Hurricane Irma
  11. 2017

    Gulf Restoration Funds: Did you know?
  12. 2017

    Gulf Restoration Projects: Did you know?
  13. 2017

    Gulf Restoration Vision: Did you know?
  14. 2017

    Next Steps for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed: Text-only Version
  15. 2016

    Deepwater Horizon Related Links
  16. 2016

    Next Steps for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed: Overview
  17. 2013

    Vision for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed
  18. 2013

    Vision for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed

  19. Next Step for a Healthy Gulf of Mexico Watershed

Press Releases

  1. A dozen large birds on the edge of a mangrove island. Oct 3, 2017 | 3 minute read

    How to manage 45 important coastal species in the face of environmental changes
  2. A small deer with velvet covered antlers in a recently burned forest. Sep 13, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Irma leaves plenty of food and water for key deer
  3. A group of USFWS personnel in a circle for a meeting. Sep 13, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Service crews head south
  4. Three men meet before deloying with heavy equipment. Sep 12, 2017 | 3 minute read

    Service assesses damage, starts cleanup
  5. Radar or Irma. Sep 11, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Irma continues its assault on Southeast
  6. A deer similar in appearance to a white-tailed deer, but much smaller in size Sep 11, 2017 | 4 minute read

    Key deer among many Florida Keys species facing Irma
  7. A swirling cloud mass south of Florida. Sep 10, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Irma reaches Florida, heads north
  8. A massive spinning cloud mass between Cuba and the Bahamas. Sep 9, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Irma aims at Keys, Georgia, Alabama
  9. A map of southeastern Florida. Sep 8, 2017 | 3 minute read

    Fish and Wildlife Service responders bringing technology to aid Hurricane Irma response, bolster safety
  10. A tiny sea turtle marches towards the ocean on a wet beach. Sep 8, 2017 | 1 minute read

    Public advisory on sea turtle nests and Hurricane Irma
  11. Satellite image of huge hurricane between Florida and Puerto Rico. Sep 8, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Service prepares for Hurricane Irma
  12. Two men attach a tarp onto a damaged roof. Sep 8, 2017 | 2 minute read

    Tips for rebuilding
  13. A massive hurricane threatens Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Sep 7, 2017 | 4 minute read

    Hurricane Irma: How we are responding
  14. Dozens of grey and white birds taking flight on the beach. May 18, 2017 | 3 minute read

    Silver Lining: Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network
  15. Hundreds of brown pelicans cover a vegetated beach. Apr 11, 2017 | 3 minute read

    Strategic conservation assessment will help guide gulf conservation
  16. Four manatees and a school of fish assemble under crystal clear water. Mar 30, 2017 | 4 minute read

    Manatee reclassified from endangered to threatened as habitat improves and population expands - existing federal protections remain in place
  17. TWo biologists on a beach wearing gloves photograph and document a dead sea gull. Aug 3, 2016 | 2 minute read

    Service employees lead studies on toxic and physical effects of oil on birds
  18. TWo biologists on a beach wearing gloves photograph and document a dead sea gull. Jun 1, 2016 | 5 minute read

    Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed as many as 102,000 birds across 93 species
  19. Bright green needles emerge from a central cone of a longleaf pine tree Apr 6, 2016 | 3 minute read

    Seeing the forest for the trees
  20. Kemps ridley sea turtle laying in the sand. Large with grey shell and yellow body with grey speckles. Nov 13, 2015 | 3 minute read

    New report assesses the impacts of emerging threats on Gulf coast species and ecosystems
  21. Two brown pelicans fly in for a landing on the rocky shoreline. Jul 8, 2010 | 3 minute read

    Using sound science, the service addresses urgent habitat needs for birds and other wildlife along the Gulf coast
  22. Wide based trees emerge from a swamp covered in green pondweed. Jul 2, 2010 | 3 minute read

    Salazar unveils special edition duck stamp cachet public can purchase to support Gulf wildlife refuges

Stories

  1. Hundreds of shore birds line a sand bank with yellow oil boom in the background. Feb 6, 2019 | 4 minute read

    Restoring a buffet for birds on North Breton Island
  2. hundreds of birds dot a small island below a bright blue sky. Aug 3, 2018 | 2 minute read

    Preconstruction monitoring activities kick off on North Breton Island Louisiana
  3. Jun 4, 2018 | 7 minute read

    A shining example
  4. hundreds of birds dot a small island below a bright blue sky. May 31, 2018 | 3 minute read

    Meet the Gulf Restoration Office
  5. Dozens gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Mar 15, 2018 | 2 minute read

    Bon Secour trail reopening underscores priority of access to public lands
  6. two yellow flowers growing out of very sandy soil. Feb 28, 2018 | 4 minute read

    Sowing plants to reap dunes
  7. Three Native American men stand in front of a sign. Jan 23, 2018 | 4 minute read

    Woven from the Landscape
  8. A tiny white and brown mouse held by a biologist. Dec 13, 2017 | 7 minute read

    The mouse that roared
  9. A tiny loggerhead hatchling hustles towards the ocean. Nov 6, 2017 | 5 minute read

    Moonlighting in Alabama
  10. Men in hard hats and yellow safety vests line up for lunch. Sep 17, 2017 | 9 minute read

    A tiny town hit hard by Irma
  11. A man in protective gear uses a chainsaw to cut a fallen tree. Sep 16, 2017 | 5 minute read

    ‘Lots of new help here,’ as recovery picks up and residents begin returning
  12. Palm and mangrove trees snapped like twigs. Sep 15, 2017 | 7 minute read

    Service employees joining Irma response effort
  13. Several manatee silhouettes from below with sun beams. Sep 11, 2017 | 3 minute read

    ‘I had to do something’
  14. Vegetation grows out of sand dunes at the beach. May 18, 2017 | 3 minute read

    Oil spill funds help protect shorebird nesting and improve monarch butterfly habitat
  15. A bird on the wing with black feathers on its wings and white breast. Nov 28, 2016 | 2 minute read

    Tracking “Panther,” the swallow-tailed kite
  16. A beige agricultural landscape dotted by hundreds of small ponds. Apr 27, 2015 | 4 minute read

    BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds migrate north
  17. A tiny turtle hatchling covered in sand. Apr 20, 2015 | 2 minute read

    Five things you need to know

Infographic

  1. Hurricane Irma

  2. Hurricane Irma and sea turtles

  3. National Wildlife Refuge System

  4. Southeast snapshot

  5. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

Download the Efforts of the U.S. Department of Interior and partners in gulf restoration after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Mississippi.

Learn more about what’s happening in your state: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.

The Gulf of Mexico: Fast Facts

Detailed factsheets about Gulf restoration can be found here.

  • More than 50% of the contiguous United States have rivers, creeks, and streams that eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The Gulf of Mexico watershed includes 32 states that stretch from Montana to Florida, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.
  • The Gulf of Mexico and its watershed are home to more than 500 federally listed species, of which more than 350 are endangered.
  • Among the threatened and endangered species in the watershed are some of America’s most beloved and iconic species, such as sea turtles, manatees, whooping cranes and peregrine falcons.
  • The natural resources in the five U.S. states bordering the Gulf are the foundation of a multi-billion dollar economic engine that employs more than eight million people and produces more than half of America’s crude oil and natural gas.
  • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) trend analyses from 1985 to 2010 show a wetland loss rate that, if it were to occur at a constant rate, would equate to Louisiana losing an area the size of one football field per hour.
Map of the Gulf of Mexico watershed, which spans from the midwest to the eastern Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf of Mexico watershed. Map: Roy Hewitt, USFWS.

Video from the Gulf

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures. Take a look at these videos highlighting our efforts to restore the priceless Gulf of Mexico. We hope you enjoy them and invite you to join us on our journey to restore the Gulf of Mexico.

Species Profiles

  1. A Florida panther walking on a gravel road with a slash pine forest in the background

    Florida panther
  2. A Louisiana black bear standing in a grassy clearing

    Louisiana black bear
  3. A close up photo of a yellow mussel shell

    Rough pigtoe
  4. Two dark gray mussels with striations on a red towel next to a ruler for scale.

    Suwanee moccasinshell
  5. A Florida manatee calf sticks close to its mother in shallow water

    West Indian manatee

Contact Us:

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