Gulf of Mexico Foundation
Gulf Ecological Management Sites
Alabama •
Florida •
Louisiana •
Mississippi •
Texas
Definition
A Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS) is a
geographic area thhat has special ecological significance to fish, wildlife and other natural resources, or
a geographic area that represents unique habitats.
Goals of the GEMS Program
- to promote information exchange about the ecology and management of GEMS
- to increase awareness of the national and international significance of GEMS
- to improve understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem
- to further conservation through interagency coordination, public/private
partnerships, and targeting of research, monitoring and action projects
Program Description
The GEMS Program is an initiative of the
Gulf of Mexico
Program (GMP) and the five Gulf of Mexico states.
Its goal is to provide a regional framework for focusing attention on
ecologically important Gulf habitats.
The Gulf of Mexico Foundation administers the GEMS
Program and helps to coordinate the five
GEMS Managers
who each represent one of the five Gulf states (Alabama, Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas).
Since the inception of the GEMS Program in 1996, each Gulf state
has been granting GEMS status to marine areas with special ecological significance. As a result, those designated areas
(which currently number 140) are considered high priority for protection, restoration
and conservation by both state and federal governments.
Information about each
GEM Site,
including size, boundaries, ecological
characteristics and current management status are
listed by state below.
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GEMS Managers
Alabama - Carl Ferraro
ADCNR-State Lands Division-Coastal Section
31115 - 5 Rivers Blvd.
Spanish Fort, AL 36527
(251) 621-1216, (251) 621-1331 fax
carl.ferraro@dcnr.alabama.gov
Florida - Larry Nall
Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Blvd Mail Station 235
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-2094, 850-245-2110 fax
larry.nall@dep.state.fl.us
Louisiana - Greg DuCote
Louisiana Dept of Natural Resources
PO Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804
225-342-5052, 225-342-9439 fax
gregdu@dnr.state.la.us
Mississippi - Rhonda Price
Mississippi Dept of Marine Resources
1141 Bayview Ave., Suite 101
Biloxi, MS 39530
228-374-5000, 228-374-5008 fax
rhonda.price@dmr.state.ms.us
Texas - Cherie O'Brien
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
FM 517 E
Dickinson, TX 77539
281-534-0132, 281-534-0122 fax
cherie.obrien@tpwd.state.tx.us
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Gulf of Mexico Foundation - PMB 51, 5403 Everhart - Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(800) 884-4175 toll free - (361) 882-3939 phone - (361) 882-1262 fax
e-mail: info@gulfmex.org
website: gulfmex.org
webmaster: Carrie Robertson
