Priority Issue: Ecosystem Integration and Assessment

Speaker: Dave Reed, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Hello, my name is Dave Reed and I work for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the Florida Institute of Oceanography in St. Petersburg.

There is a reason why people call Florida the 'Sunshine State'. Think of beautiful, white, sandy beaches, palm trees gently blowing in the breeze, pelicans gracefully dipping down to catch their next meal, breathtaking sunsets, and the relaxing rhythm of the gulf as the waves splash against the shore. Let's not forget about the fishing, not only here in Florida but all around the Gulf of Mexico, which is one-third of the entire U.S. coastline! Did you know that the Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world? And that its commercial and recreational fisheries are some of the most productive?

But there is a lot more that comes out of the Gulf of Mexico, especially tourism. Ocean-related tourism and recreation alone represents 70 % of employment in the Gulf region; that's 7 out of every 10 people working in tourism or recreation!

Unfortunately, the gulf has its fair share of problems as well. We all learned how natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita and now Ike in 2008, caused significant economic loss. They harmed our natural resources as well.

In 2004 The Gulf of Mexico Alliance was formed as a partnership by the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, to increase regional teamwork to improve the ecological and economic health of the Gulf. In the Governors' Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, released in 2006, one area of focus was centered on habitats. I work with the Habitat ID Team.

One of the main habitats identified by our team is seagrass. Seagrass meadows play a vital role in the marine environment. Seagrass meadows are one of the most economically important in the gulf because of the number of different species that use them. Seagrasses also protect our beaches from erosion by anchoring the sand with their root systems and buffer the damaging effects of storm surge by slowing a wave's energy. As a habitat of special interest, we have a really good handle on what's going on with seagrass around the Gulf of Mexico.

"Seagrass Status and Trends of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1940 - 2002" is a report that several of our team members produced outlining the change in seagrass over time and its current status. Protecting this habitat, as well as many others, is critical to avoid having to tell someone what a manatee used to look like or that they used to live right here in this bay or that the fishing used to be really, really great here and the beaches were much nicer than they are now.

The benefits of healthy ecosystems are invaluable. By protecting habitats from development or other intensive uses, we also protect our quality of life. While there are numerous challenges to protecting the Gulf of Mexico's environment, we have the tools and willpower to address and overcome these issues as a team. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a model of efficiency. It is an exciting time...there are numerous opportunities before us, and we are fortunate to have the means to take full advantage of them.