Gulf of Mexico Alliance announces Gulf Star Projects for 2023
Ocean Springs, MS – The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is pleased to announce 13 new and ongoing projects as part of its Gulf Star Program. The projects are:
- Regional data sharing for coastal management (Gulf wide)
- Environmental stewardship with students (Texas, Louisiana, Alabama)
- Youth ambassador program (Gulf wide)
- Coastal resource management internship program (Gulf wide)
- Public education through the #GetIntotheGulf social media campaign (Gulf wide)
- Status and trends assessment for priority habitats (Gulf wide)
- Citizen science water monitoring program (Texas and Louisiana)
- Marine debris education program (Florida)
- Coastal bird conservation and outreach (Texas and Louisiana)
- Stewardship of coastal bird rookeries (Gulf wide)
- Increasing community resilience using green design practices (Texas)
- Training to support community resilience assessments (Gulf wide)
- Public awareness videos promoting eco-tourism (Mississippi)
The Gulf Star Program is a unique public-private partnership that leverages contributions from agencies, businesses, and non-profits. Gulf Star provides funding for projects that support healthy beaches, clean waters, productive ecosystems, and thriving coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. In total, over 70 projects have been funded since 2016.
Two new partners have recently joined the Gulf Star Program: the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. They join Hess, Equinor, CITGO, Shell, Oxy, Motiva, Clean Gulf Associates, Freeport-McMoRan, Valero, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the five Gulf states in providing support to make this year’s projects possible.
Laura Bowie, executive director for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance said, “I am incredibly proud to announce these new Gulf Star projects and recognize the collective effort by our funders, project partners, staff, and volunteers to address priority issues in the Gulf of Mexico region.”
All projects in the Gulf Star Program accomplish actions identified in the Governors’ Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts IV, signed by the governors of the five Gulf states. All of the activities identified in this plan benefit from a regional, collaborative approach to improve the environmental and economic health of the Gulf.
Learn more about the Gulf Star Program and view the 2022 annual report at https://gulfofmexicoalliance.org/gulfstar. To become a Gulf Star partner, contact Becky Ginn ().
About the Gulf of Mexico Alliance
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a regional partnership focused on enhancing the environmental and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico through increased collaboration. Led by the five Gulf states, our network includes over 150 participating organizations from state and federal agencies, tribal governments, communities, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Priority issues addressed by the Alliance include coastal community resilience; data and monitoring; education; habitat; water resources; wildlife and fisheries; and marine debris.
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