Last month, lawns and trees were turning brown and wilting. This month, they’re practically drowning – at least in parts of the Gulf Region. No matter the condition in your backyard, follow these tips to be smart regarding water use and support a healthy Gulf of Mexico:

• Don’t pour water down the drain if there’s another use for it, e.g., to water plants.
• Repair leaky faucets – one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons/year.

Back-to-school shopping has become a rite of passage for many students and parents - this year alone Americans will spend an estimated $68 billion on back-to-school supplies!

However, producing materials uses energy and may even pollute the environment.  Luckily, a new school year doesn’t have to mean new everything. While some new purchases are necessary, others might be avoided by simply reusing, repurposing or renovating existing supplies - so a little creativity can go a long way. Here are some ideas to save money and support a healthy Gulf environment.

Recognizing that successful ocean stewardship requires inter-governmental collaboration, the National Ocean Council recently announced the inaugural members of the Governance Coordinating Committee, a group of state, local and tribal representatives that will serve as a key coordinating body on ocean policy issues. Bill Walker, Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Management Team and Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will represent the Gulf of Mexico Region.

Recent record flooding on the Mississippi River has devastated dozens of communities by destroying homes, businesses, and farm land.  Scientists are also concerned about impacts to the Gulf of Mexico as these waters from acres of flooded, fertilized farm land reach the northern Gulf.  Excessive nutrients from fertilizer are a main contributor to the creation of an area void of life, or “Dead Zone,” in the Gulf.  A large Dead Zone would threaten valuable commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries.

This summertime occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico is called the Dead Zone because the oxygen level in part of the Gulf is too low for fish and other marine life to be able to live.   Low oxygen, or hypoxia, occurs as freshwater from the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya rivers flow into the Gulf, and the surface waters of the Gulf become very warm. The warm, nutrient-rich water sparks a bloom of small plant-like marine critters called algae, which then use up all the oxygen in the water. The Dead Zone is the largest hypoxic area in the United States. Even without record-setting floods, the Dead Zone has been measured by scientists to be larger than the size of Connecticut.

The Second Governors' Action Plan, released in June, 2009.

Florida is actively contributing and benefiting from participation in the Gulf Alliance which is a group of dedicated researchers, educators and managers from dozens of state agencies throughout the Gulf, 13 federal agencies, non-profits, universities, citizens and others. Through the identification and creation of issue teams, the Gulf Alliance began in 2005 to "strengthen our response to common challenges."

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Learn more about the Gulf of Mexico Alliance by watching this 6-minute video.