The U.S coastline along the Gulf of Mexico thrives mostly in part because it’s proximity to the gulf itself, with a total shoreline of over 16,000 miles (in the U.S alone!)
Millions of marine creatures call this place there home, including 49 different species of sharks, and an extensive coral reef system that supports over 6,000 different species of fish.
The gulf is mainly able to sustain such a large fish population due it it’s coral reef’s. This is why the Gulf of Mexico supports the largest fishing industry in the U.S, a $630 million yearly industry!
Mackerel
Grouper
And most of all, shrimp.
Gulf fisheries are some of the most productive in the world. In 2010 according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the commercial fish and shellfish harvest from the five U.S. Gulf states was estimated to be 1.3 billion pounds valued at $639 million. The Gulf also contains four of the top seven fishing ports in the nation by weight. The Gulf of Mexico has eight of the top twenty fishing ports in the nation by dollar value.
Shrimp: Gulf landings of shrimp led the Nation in 2010 with 177.2 million pounds valued at $340 million dockside, accounting for about 82% of U.S. total. Texas led all Gulf states with 77.0 million pounds; Louisiana with 74.1 million pounds; Florida (west coast) with 11.8 Alabama with 10.0 million pounds; and Mississippi with 4.1 million pounds.
Oysters: The Gulf led in production of oysters in 2010 with 15.7 million pounds of meats valued at $54.5 million and representing 59% of the national total.
Recreational: The Gulf also supports a productive recreational fishery. In 2010, marine recreational participants took more than 20.7 million trips catching 145.4 million fish from the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding waters. The total weigh in pounds was over 59.3 million in 2010.
The gulf has thousands of miles of pristine beaches, contributing to a $20 billion a year tourist industry in the U.S.
Pensacola, Florida
The Pensacola Bay Area is an activity-packed destination featuring culture, outdoor adventure, fine museums, attractions and 52 miles of beaches. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, birdwatcher, golfer, foodie or a shopaholic, you’ll find your niche in the Pensacola Bay Area.
Since this seems to be the thing to do on social media all of a sudden, I figured I’d start a thread here in /r/Pensacola for our local redditors. Since we’re anonymous, I figured this thread could be more interesting than most of the lame stuff posted on FB.
I’ll start.
EDIT (because I like this one better): I’m so Pensacola I regularly bait ignorant hot-rod tourists into racing me across the 3 mile bridge, and graciously let them beat me by safe distance once nearing Gulf Breeze.
I’m so Pensacola I helped form and directed the blockade against Westboro Baptist Church last year when a few of Westboro’s members attempted to picket the funeral of a local fallen soldier (Staff Sergeant Thomas). The unity and strength I saw from the menagerie of Pensacolians who showed up that day (about 1500) convinced me of 2 things: 1, when it’s citizens unite as one, the will & spirit of Pensacola is unbreakable and 2, even though we differ widely when it comes to religion and politics, we vigorously protect our own when threatened by outsiders.
Now you try 🙂 Cheers!
Lagniappe. Overjoyed to be able to experience this part of God’s creation. #redfish @ Grande Isle, LA http://instagram.com/p/uvwtXarR_5/
The island also has well maintained beaches. Grand Isle State Park, on the east end of the island, is the only state-owned and operated beach on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The beach is a popular destination for people living in South Louisiana. In 2010, Yahoo Travel named Grand Isle one of America’s Top 10 winter beach retreats. In 2011, Yahoo travel names Grand Isle one of the Top 5 island getaways.
Corral reefs off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
San Souci Beach, Alabama
Grand Isle, Louisiana
EmerAgency and the Oil Spill 