The resources of the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf Coast is the main habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds. Large flocks of terns, boobies, pelicans and other seabirds spend the winter in the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba and offshore islands. However, there is a clear shortage of marine mammals in this area, and the number of the only important Caribbean cattle is also decreasing.

There are many fish in the water in the bay, especially along the continental shelf. Commercial fishing is of great economic significance, accounting for about 1/5 of the total catch in the United States. Shrimp, flounder, red snapper, mullet, oyster and crab are the most important commercial fish that people eat. In addition, a large part of the catch is used to make fish protein concentrate for animal feed; Herring is the main source of this kind of fish. The shallow continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico is rich in oil and natural gas. Since 1960s+0940s, these mineral deposits have been extensively exploited, accounting for a large part of domestic demand in the United States. Offshore oil wells are mainly drilled along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana and in BayofKampeche waters. Sulfur is also extracted from continental shelf oil wells off the coast of Louisiana. There are also a large number of oyster shells in the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas and in the shallow waters of nearby bays and deltas, which can be used as raw materials for calcium carbonate in the chemical industry and materials for road construction. Because of the explosion accident of Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20th, 20 10, the oil spill caused ecological catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. By June of that year, all kinds of oil leakage prevention schemes tried by the accident company basically ended in failure, and a large amount of crude oil leaked into the sea. The Gulf of Mexico is experiencing an unprecedented disaster, which may not be limited to the local ecological environment. travel

The coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico are widely used for fishing, especially red snapper, flounder and silver carp. Rowing, swimming and diving are also popular recreational activities. The Gulf Coast has become a very popular tourist destination, especially in winter. Tourism started to develop mainly after the Second World War, and now it has become an important part of the regional economy. In addition, coastal areas (especially Florida) have developed some large-scale pension communities.