Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The Gulf of Mexico is an open and dynamic marine ecosystem rich innatural resources but heavily impacted by human activities, includingagricultural, industrial, commercial and coastal development. Nutrientsand pollutants from coastal communities and dozens of rivers flow into theGulf, including material from the Mississippi River watershed, which drainsover one third of continental United States. The Gulf of Mexico has beencontinuously exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for millions of yearsfrom natural oil and gas seeps on the sea floor, and more recently from oildrilling and production activities located in the water near and far fromshore. Major accidental oil spills in the Gulf are infrequent.

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