Transocean employees 'adopt' part of Galveston shoreline
GMF partner encourages employees to be stewards of the beach

Transocean, a partner of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and a member of its CEO Council, rallied its employees, their family members and friends to participate in the Fall 2011 Texas Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup on September 24. That morning, about 300 Transocean volunteers cleaned a section of the Texas Gulf Coast at Stewart Beach in Galveston. Their effort added to the 7,300 tons of trash that has been collected at these twice-yearly events since 1986.
   GMF President/CEO Dr. Quenton Dokken and Chairman of the GMF Board of Directors Wayne Johnson joined the volunteer effort. “Everyone was enthusiastic and energetic,” Dokken reported, adding, “Transocean’s commitment to keep our beaches and recreational areas clean of human debris makes a big difference for those who live and work in this coastal zone.”

OUR PARTNERS

Teacher brings the Gulf of Mexico home to students
By drawing comparisons, Smith shares passion for coral reef environment

Texas History teacher Rebecca Smith spent three days scuba diving in the Gulf of Mexico this summer as part of the coral reef expedition for teachers that she took part in through the Gulf of Mexico Foundation's annual Down Under Out Yonder (DUOY).
   This fall, she is teaching her seventh-grade students at Baker Middle School in Corpus Christi, Texas, about coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. To bring the message home, she draws on areas of Texas that are already familiar to her students such as the limestone formations in the Texas Hill Country that scientists believe were formed by coral reefs millions of years ago. She also draws a parallel to the protected national seashore just down the road from her school to the federally protected waters of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf. In both places, "people are watching out to make sure nobody hurts the environment," she explains.
   She asks her students, "Why should we care about coral reefs?" One by one, students come up with answers: Because we like to eat fish and the reefs attract a wide variety of fish, large and small. Other reasons that coral reefs are important, the students learn, are the protection they provide shorelines from storm surge, and the opportunity they provide for medical research and for oil and gas exploration. She ends the presentation by showing a map of the extensive water shed that drains into the Gulf of Mexico, telling her students that we need to "be careful what goes down our drains."

GMF EDUCATION & TRAINING

Foundation helps design, shape Coastal Restoration Corps
Restoration organizations work together to help plan new national program

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation is helping to outline the strategy for a new program being developed called the Coastal Restoration Corps (CRC) that aims to put people to work restoring coastal and estuarine habitats. Using volunteers and interns, the CRC will provide opportunities for career development and training while helping to restore U.S. shorelines that have been negatively impacted.
   The CRC will build upon a history of national service programs in America such as the 1930s' Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the 1960s' Peace Corps and the 1990s' AmeriCorps.
   The CRC steering committee, led by Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is made up of 45 leaders and experts, including GMF President/CEO Dr. Quenton Dokken, who attended the first meeting in February. In October, GMF Program Manager Mikell Smith attended the second CRC planning meeting at NOAA's headquarters near D.C. to help determine the activities and path of the new program. “We came up with implementation activities and deadlines, set a timeline and identified initial programs to focus on,” Smith said.
   From 1933 to 1942, CCC workers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed hundreds of parks and built a network of public roadways in remote areas. If the CRC follows suit, our nation’s coastal ecosystems could benefit exponentially. “And with all the member organizations combining efforts, we can create a more efficient outcome,” Smith said.

COASTAL RESTORATION CORPS (PDF)

Message from the President/CEO, Dr. Quenton Dokken
Foundation growing, expanding in education, training, restoration programs

Over the past two decades, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation has continually grown and 2012 promises to be our biggest year ever. Our education and conservation programs are having a positive impact across the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea as our teachers’ expeditions expand and our habitat restoration programs move into high gear.
   In the spring and summer, the GMF offers on-the-water expeditions that help educate teachers, bringing the Gulf of Mexico’s coral reefs and coastal wetlands up close and personal. Experiencing these ecosystems first-hand generates excitement and a new level of understanding for the teachers that they then bring back to their students.
   The Foundation continues to play a leading role in the Gulf of Mexico Community-based Restoration Partnership, awarding more than $500,000 to new restoration projects this year. Working with NOAA and the EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program over the past decade, the GMF has contributed more than $3 million to fund 76 projects that restored more than 15,000 acres of coastal habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region. Partnering with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team, we have led the effort to address issues such as how to beneficially use dredged sediments and how to bridge policy differences between the U.S. and Mexico. Habitat degradation and loss is the most critical issue facing the Gulf of Mexico, and it is imperative that we not only continue these efforts but expand them.
   This month, we will be releasing a full-color printed newsletter featuring in-depth articles about both our current programs and our plans for the future. Look for an electronic version of this new publication called “Gulf Connections” posted on our website soon. One of the many benefits of becoming a GMF Member is that you receive a copy of the printed newsletter via US Mail. If you haven’t joined us yet, please come aboard!

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