Restoring The Gulf of Mexico

Welcome to the Gulf

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response

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.

You can help! Studies following the BP oil disaster show that the Gulf’s marine life and their ocean habitats suffered the worst impacts. We need you to speak up for open ocean restoration.

From the coasts to its deepest waters—the Gulf of Mexico is a habitat unlike any other. Join us in protecting marine life in the Gulf.

Take Action

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.

Justin-Ehrenwerth

“Ocean Conservancy’s Gulf Restoration Program has consistently put forward important ideas and thoughtful suggestions to incorporate the best available science into comprehensive ecosystem restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. They are a key ally to Gulf decision-makers in engaging the public effectively, providing helpful resources that explain how the health of the Gulf, and our understanding of the ecosystem, affects our everyday lives.”

Justin R. Ehrenwerth
President and CEO at The Water Institute of the Gulf

Our work starts here, and it includes you

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.

Want to join us?

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.

You can help! Studies following the BP oil disaster show that the Gulf’s marine life and their ocean habitats suffered the worst impacts. We need you to speak up for open ocean restoration.

From the coasts to its deepest waters—the Gulf of Mexico is a habitat unlike any other. Join us in protecting marine life in the Gulf.

Take Action

There may be $16 billion set aside to restore the Gulf, but it is still not enough to address the impacts from the BP oil disaster and decades of environmental stress. Ocean Conservancy is the leading voice in the Gulf for marine restoration and ensuring that restoration is comprehensive, transparent and science-based. We need your support to keep us on the ground in the Gulf fighting for restoration.

Donate Today

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