Coordinating Conservation and Restoration Efforts
To ensure the sustainability and productivity of the Gulf for generations to come, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, in partnership with the Gulf States,

GMF President Dr. Quenton Dokken listens as Alonso Domínguez Ferráez opens the HCRT workshop held in Veracruz, Mexico, Oct 14-15, 2010.   VIEW PHOTO SLIDE SHOW

NOAA, and EPA, has taken the lead in coordinating the activities of the Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team (previously the Regional Restoration Coordination Team) as recommended by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Governor’s Action Plan. Mikell Smith serves as the GMF's Project Coordinator for the HCRT.

Recognizing that the Gulf is surrounded by 25 states and provinces in three countries, the team is committed to addressing the wetland and coastal conservation and restoration priorities in the Gulf of Mexico from a regional standpoint by increasing coordination among the Gulf States and local, federal, business and non-profit partners.

About the Gulf of Mexico Alliance
The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest water body in the world, accounting for half the wetlands in the United States and teeming with life, ranging from crabs and shrimp to deepwater corals living thousands of feet below the surface. With some thousands of miles of shoreline from Cape Sable, Florida to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Gulf’s coastal habitats are being threatened by human activity and processes accelerated by anthropogenic inputs such as erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. The five U.S. Gulf States have identified six priority issues that are regionally significant and can be effectively addressed through increased collaboration at local, state, and federal levels:

• Water Quality
• Habitat Conservation and Restoration
• Ecosystem Integration and Assessment
• Nutrients and Nutrient Impacts
• Coastal Community Resilience
• Environmental Education

Gulf of Mexico Alliance website

Gulf of Mexico Foundation - PMB 51, 5403 Everhart - Corpus Christi, TX 78411
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