America’s Gulf Coast is an incredible haven for wildlife—home to approximately 15,000 unique species of wildlife, including 28 types of dolphins and whales, 49 species of sharks, and five different sea turtles.
The National Wildlife Federation has long worked to improve the health of the Gulf for people and wildlife, and to protect the way of life of the 65 million people who live near the coast. Over the decades, we have championed the restoration of Louisiana’s rapidly eroding Mississippi River Delta, advocated for the restoration of the Everglades and protected freshwater flowing to the Texas coast.
When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, causing significant harm across the Gulf, we were a leading voice calling for justice for the Gulf and championing the use of the fines resulting from the spill on comprehensive ecosystem restoration.
NWF’s Work in the Gulf of Mexico
Here are just a few of the things that we have accomplished in collaboration with people and organizations across the Gulf:
- A dozen communities on Florida’s Gulf Coast have updated their lighting ordinances as a result of our community-led efforts. This will help ensure newly hatched sea turtles do not get disoriented as they head for open water.
- We have long been a leading voice for restoring the Everglades for people and wildlife like Florida panthers, snail kites and largemouth bass. We supported the creation of the first comprehensive restoration plan in the 1990s, and we are still working on Capitol Hill and with our Florida partners to ensure that science-based restoration projects are implemented.
- We championed the passage of the RESTORE Act in 2012, which sent most of BP’s oil spill fines back to the Gulf in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster – and we are still advocating for the use of Deepwater Horizon penalties on meaningful restoration projects today. These fines have funded the restoration of thousands of acres from Texas to Florida, benefiting species from waterfowl to manatees.
- We contribute to the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, a trailblazing plan which addresses the state’s land-loss crisis by restoring wetlands, rebuilding barrier islands and reconnecting the river with its delta.
- We helped shape the recommendations for billions of dollars in projects to restore the vast area damaged by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) shipping canal and to better protect the communities that were flooded during Hurricane Katrina.
- We worked with our partners to launch the first-ever Tampa Bay Coastal Master Plan, which will increase resilience for this high-risk area by reducing chronic flood risks and protecting habitats with nature-based flooding solutions.
- We influenced the creation of Texas’ Coastal Resilience Master Plan, which includes projects to protect and restore wildlife habitats along with millions of residents of the coastal counties.
Learn more about what we have done and will continue to do in the Gulf of Mexico — read our strategic plan.
