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America's Sea – Keep It Shining! |
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EDUCATION
First Intracoastal Waterway cruise teaches ecology
June 2009 - The GMF's first annual summer wetlands education workshop for teachers, the Intracoastal Waterway Wetlands
Cruise (IWWC), took 17
GMF Restoration Program Manager
Ryan Fikes, center, leads an onboard discussion during the 2009
Intracoastal Waterway Wetlands Cruise.
Photo: Franklin Viola/violaphoto.com |
educators from schools across the US on a three-day exploration aboard a live-aboard vessel took place June 14-17.
Starting in Freeport, Texas,
the 100-foot-long modified crew boat equipped with a wet lab took the group up the Intracoastal Waterway to
Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Two captains, two crew members and a cook were
onboard, as well as several instructors including GMF staff members
Ryan Fikes and
Dr. Quenton Dokken. GMF Board
Member Dan Smallwood of ConocoPhillips was also onboard,
as ConocoPhillips was the main sponsors for the
2009 IWWC. JR Jones, a high school aquatic science teacher in Corpus Christi, Texas,
helped plan the trip and design the curriculum. "One of my main
priorities as teacher is to get kids out of the classroom. My philosophy
is that science is not the questions at the end of the chapter – it is
getting a little dirty and bringing things back from the field to
examine in the lab," Jones explained. "Through the IWWC, our goal is to
help teachers learn about the function of the
wetlands and how they improve water quality and provide important
habitat for wildlife. We also focus on oil and gas economics and how
important the coastal area is not only for production but also for
delivery in oil and gas supply," Jones said. Participants explored the wetlands using an inflatable dinghy at
several stops along the route.
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DUOY to include towed camera, Nitrox certification
June 2009 - The GMF's summer coral reef education cruise for teachers this year has
a full rosters of 18 teachers from around the nation. The 14th annual
DUOY Coordinator Doug Weaver with the underwater video camera that the vessle will tow to record footage of marine life
150-450 feet deep at the Flower Garden Banks.
Photo: Texas Sea Scouts |
Down Under, Out Yonder
(DUOY), set for July 11-15, is a five-day workshop that includes two days of
on-land coral reef education, followed by three days of scuba diving at the Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). Participants will be living aboard
the research vessel during those three days at sea, since the
destination is more than 100 miles offshore. The trip requires only a nominal fee from each teacher,
with the rest of the cost of the trip paid for by the Gulf of Mexico
Foundation and its its partners. ConocoPhillips, providing $40,000 in funding,
is the main sponsor for the 2009 DUOY. During the three-day offshore
cruise, the divers will visit active mud volcanoes, an active brine seep
and a deep coral reef community. In addition to scuba diving, the
teachers will also be conducting onboard video surveys with a towed
camera system that will be lowered into the deep depths of the Flower
Gardens. Led by an experienced expedition scientist, DUOY Coordinator
Doug Weaver,
the trip will include a live onboard video feed, allowing the teachers
to watch on a monitor what the camera is recording in the water 500 feet
below them (and deeper). An added bonus for the teachers will be the option to take an
onboard NITROX certification
course, which allows them to breath a special mixture of air during
dives that allows for longer bottom times.
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SSCN connects employers with homegrown talent
May 2009 - As part of a coastal workforce
initiative developed by the GMF's Science & Spanish Club Network called “Living and Working in the Coastal Zone,” two job fairs
were held in May to help connect local talent with local employers. The effort
is a collaboration with the Texas Transportation
Elizabeth Roberts from San Patricio Economic Development discusses
job prospects with high school students in Aransas Pass during a "Living and Working in the Coastal Zone"
event May 20.
Photo: Richard Gonzales/GMF |
Institute, a part of the Texas A&M; University System that encourages
development of homegrown talent. On May 20, more than 470 students circulated in the high school gymnasium in Aransas Pass, Texas,
in a “Living & Working in the Coastal Zone” job fair with area employers who are hiring workers now or who will be in the near future.
The following day, more than 450 parents and students in Edna, Texas, attended a second “Living & Working
in the Coastal Zone” fair in the school gymnasium. Other similar events are planned for the Texas cities of Port
Isabel on October 6 and in Port Lavaca in late October. All the events are sponsored in part by a grant from the Texas General Land Office
Coastal Management Program Grant Cycle 13 and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Environmental Education Network.
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STAFF
Director's Report
June 2009 - Summer is upon us, hurricane season is here, and in South Texas an extreme drought is dominating conversations, yet the Gulf of Mexico
 Foundation continues to move forward on its mission. I don’t know if you
have ever taken the time to read the GMF mission, but basically it directs us down a course pursuing sustainable economies and environmental health and productivity. In short, we want to do our part to achieve a sustainable quality of life that we can pass on to future generations.
I have long advocated that our planning horizon should be at least one lifetime. At a conference in Washington D.C. recently I heard one speaker
comment on how difficult it was to get people to consider life in the year 2100 since the adult audiences he spoke with would not be alive in 2100.
It does sound like light years away, but consider this – a baby born today will likely be alive and kicking in 2100.
Just look at any newborn or toddler today and you are looking at the faces of the year 2100. It is our obligation to ensure
that they will have access to same qualities of life we enjoy today – hence, the mission of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. READ MORE |
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Franklin Viola lands dream job on Palmyra Atoll
Over the years, GMF Media Advisor Franklin Viola has shot underwater photos on GMF-sponsored
and countless other dive trips. He recently landed a job as Field Station Manager
for The Nature Conservancy on Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific.
Photo: Russell Sparkman
June 2009 - GMF Media Advisor
Franklin Viola worked as a volunteer on diving expeditions for
more than two decades and has received numerous national and international
awards for his underwater photography. After starting his career
working aboard huge cargo ships in the Merchant Marine, he began to
focus his love of water through the optics of a camera in 1986,
producing still photography
and digital video for clients who use water to tell their story or to
sell their product. In June, he was hired as Field Station Manager for
The Nature Conservancy on
Palmyra Atoll, a small island in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 miles
south of Hawai'i. Congratulations, Franklin!
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Smith presents project plans to SARP leadership
May 2009 - GMF Project Manager Mikell Smith
attended meetings of the Steering Committee and Science and Data Committee of the Southeast Aquatic
Resources Partnership (SARP) in May to present his plans for a watershed-scale
 study funded by the group.
In late March, SARP awarded the GMF $50,000 to fund this work. Focused on the Sabine and Red River basins,
GMF SARP study will identify
threats to aquatic resources and assess the state of conservation efforts in the area of interest. Smith developed a survey designed to reveal preferences and
to elicit knowledge from a broad range of stakeholders who use, manage and rely on these systems. The survey will be administered electronically via email as well
as in person at a series of public meetings to be held over the course of the summer. SARP Steering Committee members approved the GMF’s approach,
which aims to include all groups involved in use of the waters, the species and the lands surrounding them.
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Fikes conducts site visits, participates in training
Punta Tuna, Puerto Rico, site of CRP project
Photo: Ryan Fikes/GMF |
April 2009 - GMF Restoration Program Manager Ryan Fikes conducted site visits in Puerto Rico
for the two of our Community-based Restoration Partnership grant projects. The site visits were to
one 2008 project, "Restoration of Mangrove Tidal
Channels in the Piñones State Forest and Natural Preserve" (CRP #3002C), and one 2009 project, "Community-Driven Restoration of the Coastal Punta
Tuna Natural Reserve" (CRP #4001C). While there Ryan also visited with staff from the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership and Jobos
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to discuss partnering with
these organizations as a part of GMF's Caribbean efforts.
May 2009 - Fikes also participated in a coastal training opportunity May 6-7 in Mobile, Alabama,
hosted by the NOAA Coastal Services Center.
The workshop, entitled “Public Issues and Conflict Management,” teaches facilitation skills to be used when addressing controversial
issues in diverse groups of individuals, such as resource management, protection and education. Ryan hopes to utilize these skills
in helping to plan and facilitate future Gulf of Mexico Alliance meetings and workshops. |
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RESTORATION / CONSERVATION
Restoration funding cycle underway for
ninth year
June 2009 – The Gulf of Mexico Community-based Restoration Partnership
is proud to announce that approximately $310,000 will be available for restoration
Dune vegetation on Galveston Island takes off as a result of a GMF restoration grant to Artist Boat,
CRP Project #6003.
Photo: Ryan Fikes/GMF |
projects to begin in January 2010. This will be the
ninth year of funding for the GCRP, which is a partnership between the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, the NOAA Restoration Center, and the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program’s Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS) Program. The restoration program funds citizen-driven habitat restoration projects which benefit living marine resources and foster local stewardship throughout the Gulf of Mexico region. Since 2001,
GMF CRP projects have restored thousands of acres of economically important habitat and marine resources, generated millions of dollars in matching funds, provided educational opportunities for teachers and students, and formed lasting partnerships. The Request for Pre-Proposals (RFPP)
can be found on GMF's Restoraiton web page. Deadline is August 3.
READ MORE
DOWNLOAD
RFP |
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PARTNERSHIPS
ConocoPhillips donates $40,000 to DUOY and IWWC
June 2009 - The GMF has received a generous donation of $40,000 from
 ConocoPhillips
to sponsor the 14th annual Down Under Out Yonder (DUOY) teacher’s coral reef ecology workshop and also the GMF's first annual
Intracoastal Waterway Wetlands Cruise (IWWC), a coastal habitats ecology workshop for teachers
that took place June 14-17. ConocoPhillips is a multi-year sponsor of the DUOY program.
This year's DUOY workshop will take place July 11-15.
The GMF greatly appreciates the support that ConocoPhillips provides to education and outreach.
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Walmart contributes $1,000 for Redfish Bay education
April 2009 - Walmart in Aransas Pass, Texas, made a $1,000 Community
 Grants contribution in April to the Gulf of Mexico Foundation’s
Science & Spanish Club Network (SSCN) for their Redfish Bay public education and outreach efforts.
Science & Spanish Clubs in Ingleside, Sinton, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi are involved in numerous activities around Redfish Bay, a critical habitat and State Scientific Study area with its vast sea grass pastures.
The GMF greatly appreciates Aransas Pass Walmart’s contribution in support of this effort.
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GMF hosts regional sediment management meeting
May 2009 - The GMF hosted a meeting in New Orleans for the Habitat
 Conservation and Restoration Team (HCRT) of the
Governor’s Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA). The meeting, held May 13-14, was conducted to further develop a technical
framework for the Gulf of Mexico Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP), which is scheduled to be released within the year. The
team, made up of about 30 people, also worked on organizing a workshop which will take place in September addressing the Federal Standard. The GRSMMP subgroup of the HCRT
would like to see the incorporation of beneficial use of dredged materials become routine in US Army Corps of Engineers activities,
which will aid in better restoration practices.
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BOARD / CEO COUNCIL
GMF Board meeting in New Orleans features speakers
April 2009 - The GMF Board of Directors held its first quarterly meeting of 2009 on March 31 and April 1.
CEO Council partner,
Shell Exploration and Production, hosted the meetings at the Shell offices in downtown New Orleans.The Board heard from three guest speakers, Dr. Larry McKinney of
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies,
Dr. William Walker, Director of the
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and Lars Herbst, Regional Director of the
Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico Region.
In the evening, GMF Board President Paul Kelly of Rowan Industries hosted a dinner at Luke Restaurant for Board members and guests. On April 1, the GMF held the business portion of the quarterly Board of Directors meeting.
The next Board of Directors meeting will be held in July 2009.
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