Treasure the Small Sea By LUCINDA JOHNSTON
Treasure-seeking explorers called it Mar Pequeña, the “small sea.” After being battered by its storms in 1528, Pánfilo de Narvárez sought refuge in a large bay he gratefully called “Bahia de Santa Cruz” or Bay of the Sacred Cross – now Tampa Bay. Nearly 500 years later, the Gulf of Mexico and the hundreds of bays, rivers and inlets that surround it still dazzle us with riches. Maybe the only gold that we find now is a spectacular sunset that flashes colors as rich as any chest of jewels. Today’s Gulf of Mexico is a treasure that those early explorers could hardly imagine; it accounts for 55% of U.S. crude oil production, 52% of natural gas production, and 48% of refinery capacity. But BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill shows us that the price for obtaining those riches still can be unimaginably high. In fact, the real cost of modern treasure-seeking may not be known for years, or even generations. Why? Because the Gulf not only powers our cars, it also feeds us on a breathtaking scale. Most US wetlands and sea grass, and all of its mangroves, are found in the Gulf, especially in Florida. Because 95% of all commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish depend on that habitat for some part of their life cycle, the Gulf is a crucial food source. And while Gulf Coast estuaries make up only 24% of all US estuaries by area, they are amazingly productive. The Gulf accounts for 85% of all shrimp, 60% of all oysters, and 50% of recreational fishing catch in the US. At over 1.3 billion pounds of annual seafood production, the Gulf produces more finfish, shrimp and shellfish than the rest of the south, mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake and New England regions, combined.
photos from chart411.com
In the face of encroaching development, greater demand for the oil and gas under the Gulf ’s sea floor, and more efficient but damaging fishing and shellfish harvesting methods, the abundance of this important food source may not be sustainable for much longer. According to many experts, Bluefin Tuna, Atlantic Cod, and various snappers and groupers may be extinct or critically diminished to a point from which they cannot recover in the foreseeable future. But, despite these dire predictions, with easily-managed behavior changes, this potentially catastrophic problem can be solved.
So What Can We All Do to Preserve this Treasure? Prevent runoff. Use plants or permeable materials along waterways to prevent runoff into rivers, creeks or canals. It all runs into the Gulf sooner or later, carrying whatever chemicals and debris are on the surface. Minimize use of pesticides and fertilizers. Many chemicals and fertilizers promote algae growth and may contribute to the dreaded “red tide” that kills fish and pollutes our beaches. Reduce plastic. A Florida beach clean-up produced 180 tons of garbage – 60% of it plastic. Plastic bags are especially lethal for wildlife, since sea turtles, birds and fish mistake them for jellyfish and can ingest them.