GOMAEEN Online Digital Library | Habitat Conservation | Problems:

Habitat Conservation and Restoration

Problems

Science has demonstrated significant alteration, degradation, and loss of natural habitats within the Polluted Water Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. There is associated loss of ecological services due to these changes in habitat character, quality, and quantity. Population growth, anthropogenic alterations, and changes in land use patterns along with natural meteorological and geomorphologic processes have facilitated the continuation of these trends on a more rapid time frame.

Polluted Waterway

Regional population growth affects habitats throughout the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the Gulf coast is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States, with the second highest growth-rate of any region between 2003 and 2008. Texas and Florida are two of the top three fastest-growing states in the nation. The growth of metropolitan areas is a consistent occurrence from Key West to Brownsville. The Gulf coast is the fourth most populated region with approximately 19.1 million inhabitants in 2003 (13% of the nation’s coastal population). It is estimated that the population of the Gulf coast region grew by 21% between 1990 and 2000. All indicators suggest that these growth trends in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Mexico will continue as commerce diversifies and increases. In the coastal region tourism is the largest industry in terms of people and businesses involved, further increasing the human influence in the coastal zone.