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  Gulf Ecological Management Sites  


Definition
A Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS) is a geographic area that 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.

GEMS Managers

Alabama - Carl Ferraro
Alabama Dept of Conservation & Natural Resources
State Lands Division-Coastal Section
Stonebrook Executive Complex
23210 U.S. Highway 98, Suite #B-1
Fairhope, AL 36532
251-929-0900, 251-990-9293 fax
cferraro@dcnr.state.al.us

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 - Kendal Keyes
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Coastal Fisheries – Coastal Conservation Program
NRC Building, Suite #2501
6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5846
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
361-825-3245, 361-825-3248 fax
kendal.keyes@tpwd.state.tx.us

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Florida GEM Sites


Louisiana GEM Sites


Texas GEM Sites

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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