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.

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.

“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?

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.