Restoring the Gulf Coast:Companies Poised to Grow

The Gulf Coast: Critical to the US Economy

• 33% of the nation’s seafood harvest

• $34 billion/year in tourism

• 90% of the nation’s total offshore crude oil and natural gas production

• 10 of the nation’s 15 largest shipping ports, by cargo volume

Sources: (NMFS, 2011, Oxford Economics, 2010, EIA, 2011, AAPA, 2009)

Key Findings: Restoring the Gulf Coast

• Job opportunities in the Gulf Coast region and 32 other states

• 391 employee locations nation wide, with 67% in the five Gulf States

• Coastal restoration is a small or growing share of business for many firms

• The firms are small and medium sized

• Coastal restoration offers opportunities to diversify for well established firms

Key Findings: Restoring Gulf Oyster Reefs

• Job opportunities in the Gulf Coast and 17 other states

• 445 relevant employee locations, with 82% in the Gulf

• Most firms are small businesses

• Small, specialized firms are leading innovation

• Oyster reef restoration creates opportunities for innovation

• Controlled funding is needed to encourage coastal engineers to include oyster reefs in large restoration projects

Restoring the Gulf Coast:Value Chain

Restoring the Gulf Coast:National Map

Restoring the Gulf Coast:The Gulf Coast States Map

Oyster Reef Restoration:National Map

Oyster Reef Restoration:The Gulf Coast States Map

Hyperlinks for studies

• Restoring the Gulf Coast

• http://www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/CGGC_Gulf-Coast-Restoration.pdf

• Restoring Gulf Oyster Reefs

• http://www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/CGGC_Oyster-Reef-Restoration.pdf

Jenna Skowronskijskowronski@edf.org202-572-3367