Pew’s Gulf of Mexico Projects Include Oyster Reef Restoration, Seagrass and Coral Conservation

The Pew Charitable Trusts, a sponsor of the 2022 Gulf of Mexico Conference, brings nonpartisan scientific expertise to bear on some of the Gulf region’s most pressing issues, working to conserve ocean and coastal resources including fish, oysters, deep-sea corals, and seagrass. Pew partners with businesses, fishers, governments, educational institutions, and others to address challenges and find solutions.

Selected Pew research and analysis on the Gulf of Mexico:

Oyster Restoration and Conservation

• 'Spawning Reefs' Provide Places for Oysters to  Live and Reproduce

• Gulf Coast Oysters and the Reefs They Need Stand to Benefit from Oil Spill Settlement Funding
• How Oysters Grow Their Way to Your Plate
• 15 Facts About Oysters and the Need to Protect Them
• Texas Says Shucks Lets Give Oyster Growing a Try
• Louisiana Tries New Recipe for Saving Its Oysters
• Louisiana Builds Reefs to Give Oysters Protected Places to Reproduce

Deep-Sea Coral Protections

Visit a collection of materials: Ancient Corals Need Protection From Modern Threats

• Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Corals Win Protection
• Deep Sea Coral Ecosystems May Hold Cancer Cures but Face Threats

Seagrass Conservation

Visit a collection of materials: Florida Plays Host to Abundant Seagrass

• Healthy Seagrass Forms Underwater Meadows That Harbor Diverse Marine Life
• 9 Facts About One of Earths Most Vital Habitats
• Seagrass Vital to Wildlife and Ocean Health Thrives Along Florida's Gulf Coast

Florida’s Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve

• Community Voices Are Key to Management of Florida's Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve
• New Aquatic Preserve Off Florida Is Big Win for Wildlife Habitat and Long-Term Economy

Florida’s Apalachicola Bay Restoration

• Florida Halts Apalachicola Wild Oyster Harvest to Restore Dwindling Species

Fishery Ecosystem Plan

• New Fisheries Management Strategies Needed to Support a Healthier Gulf of Mexico
• Guide Shows Gulf of Mexico Fishery Managers How to Take Big-Picture Approach

Forage Fish

• Little Fish Are a Big Deal to Florida
• On the Record Florida's Big Step to Help Little Fish
• FL Researchers Study Links Between Prey Fish Predators and Algal Blooms
• A Glimpse Into the Underwater Web of Life
• Anchovies and Their Predators Help Researcher Solve Ecosystem Mysteries
• For Answers on Florida's Little Fish a Math Geek Dives Into Data
• Scientist Discovers Secret Lives of Fish By Peering Into Their Eyes

Descending Devices

• Fish Get the Bends Too and Millions Are Dying From It

Bluefin Tuna

• Pew Opposes Rollback of Protections for Depleted Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico

Spawning Protections at Western Dry Rocks

• New Rule Gives Breeding Fish a Safe Haven Off Key West