Wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico

Photo Courtesy of Marco Island Chamber of Commerce

The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean contain some of the most spectacular wildlife in the world including the rare and charming manatee, playful bottlenose dolphins, rare migrating whooping cranes, American crocodile and alligator, roseate spoonbills, sea turtles, whale sharks, just to name a few. Right in our own backyard, we have a glorious myriad of bird species that grace our warm, blue skies with variations throughout the changing seasons as they migrate through our area, often stopping to rear their young. Always under construction, this section of the GASP! web page is to inform of the different species, their habitats, the nature around them, and to provide information on how we can all help to see that these animals will be around for the enjoyment of future generations.

Wildife Resources

• About Manatees - from Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota, Florida

• NOAA Fisheries - Lots of information on marine resources, permits, conservation, endangered species act, etc

• The Loveable Manatee

• What is a Manatee - A Sea World Education Department Resource

• Manatees - A Sea World Education Department Resource - a comprehensive site on the manatee covering diet, reproduction, habitat, distribution and conservation

• Bottlenose Dolphins - Sea World Education Department Resource - a comprehensive site on the dolphin covering its habitat, distribution, behavior and conservation

• Info on Communication and Echolocation of Dolphins (Listen to a Dolphin) - Sea World Education Department Resource

• Dolphins - Information on different dolphin species.

• About Those Sharks...

• Shrimp Boats: A Gaveston Dolphin's Smorgasbord - by Dagmar Fertl and Bernd Wursig of the Marine Mammal Research Program of Texas A & M University.

• The American Alligator - University of Florida. Good list of safety tips, impressive photos (check out long snout, weight, and size.

• Crocodile Specialist Group - University of Florida

• Sea Turtles - Sea World Education Department Resoure

• Sea Turtles - NOAA Ocean Sciences

• Whales - NOAA Ocean Sciences

• Northern Atlantic Right Wale - NOAA Ocean Sciences

• Humpback Whale - General information and chart showing distribution of the humback throughout the world (including in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean).

• Florida Mangroves

• Tragedy of the seas - Troubled Waters, Special Report. Post And Courier reporter Tony Bartelme, photographer Mic Smith and graphic artist Mark Whitney offer this special report on the problems facing the commercial fishing industry.

• NOAA Ocean Sciences

• NOAA's Resource Guide for Teachers of Marine Science

• Fish FAQ - Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Organizations And What You Can Do To Help

• Contact Information for Stranded Marine Animals

• Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network

  

• NOAA's Marine Entanglement Research Program - NOAA's lead program for addressing the persistent marine debri problem encompassing entaglement of marine life in lost fishing gear and other plastic wastes, ingestion of synthetic wastes by marine life, economic losses to the maritime and tourist industries caused by trash in the ocean. This image is that of a seal which has become entagled in the plastic ring of a six-pack.

• NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

• Oceans In Peril - From the Smithsonian Institutes special exhibit Ocean Planet

• Gulf of Mexico Program Office - Environmental Information, Education and Outreach for the Gulf of Mexico.

• Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary - A bird sanctuary open to visitors near Indian Shores, Florida, situated on the Gulf

• Tampa Baywatch - "A Stewardship Program for Tampa Bay"

• MOTE Marine Laboratory

• Minerals Management Service - information of marine life in the Gulf of Mexico

• Whales and Dolphins of the Gulf of Mexico (A PDF formatted file, 2.27 MB) Did you know that the killer whale is one of the 28 whale and dolphin species known to exist in the Gulf of Mexico's waters? Read about all of the Gulf's whale and dolphin species in this teacher's companion which has text, illustrations and even a world-find puzzle. Click here to view the Table of Contents

• White Shark Research Institute

• Texas Parks And Wildlife - Includes Calendar of Events for Texas Passport Adventures

• The Dolphin Alliance - A grassroots citizens' action group established in July 1992 to act as a voice for dolphin and whale rights and protection of their environment

• The Nature Conservancy

• Killer Balloons - How helium balloons are endangering marine wildlife.

Other Environmental Related Links

• NOAA Fisheries Headquarters

• ENN ONLINE - Environmental News Network Online - Environmental news webzine.

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