The Gulf of Mexico at a glance: a second glance
This report provides highlights of what we know about the Gulf region’s coastal communities, coastal economy, and coastal ecosystems, and how climate change might impact the Gulf coast. It is intended for coastal managers, planners, citizens and policy officials a reference to support regional decision-making and communications about the importance of healthy Gulf coastal ecosystems to a robust national economy.
The report includes nineteen topics that reveal highlights about the region, such as changes in the Gulf’s coastal population from 1970 to 2020, the impact the Gulf’s coastal areas have on the U.S. economy, the extent of land-based and marine protected areas in the Gulf coast region, and the vulnerability of the Gulf coast to long-term sea level rise and including the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history (Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and the largest accidental marine oil spill in U.S. history (Deepwater Horizon MC252 in 2010).