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LIFE Program Florida's Gulf Ecological Management Sites Florida's GEMS

A Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS) is a geographic area that has special ecological significance to the continued production of fish, wildlife and other natural resources or that represents unique habitats.
The GEMS Program is an initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) and the five Gulf of Mexico states to provide a framework for protection of ecologically important Gulf habitats. It is administered through the Gulf of Mexico Foundation

. Gulf of Mexico Program

The GEMS Program will coordinate and utilize existing federal, state, local and private programs, resources, and mechanisms to identify GEMS in each state, build an informational database, and foster cooperative use of GEMS to further GMP goals.

The GMP has identified the GEMS Program as one of its priority action items to achieve its goal to conserve, restore, enhance and create Gulf of Mexico habitats. The first step of the program is for each Gulf state to identify special ecological sites it regards as GEMS. Information about each site, such as size, boundaries, ecological characteristics and current management status, will be included in a Gulf-wide database. This information network will be used by participants in the GEMS Program to coordinate and to share information about ecologically important sites and appropriate management techniques on a regional basis.
The regional strategy of the GEMS Program will: promote information exchange; increase awareness of the national significance of Gulf of Mexico sites; muster additional support for management activities; and assist in setting priorities on a geographical basis for funding and activities, such as research, monitoring for ecological health, special action projects, and other mechanisms to ensure the continuing vitality of these critical areas.

SeeThe Gulf of Mexico Alliancefor similar efforts to protect the coastal environment of the Gulf states.



### Visit the GEMS of the other Gulf coastal states.

Texas Louisiana Mississippi Alabama 

### GEMS Managed by CAMA Aquatic Preserves Alligator Harbor Apalachicola Big Bend Seagrasses Boca Ciega Bay Cape Haze Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands Cockroach Bay Coupon Bight Estero Bay Fort Pickens Gasparilla Sound - Charlotte Harbor Lemon Bay Lignumvitae Key Matlacha Pass Pine Island Sound Pinellas County Rocky Bayou Rookery Bay St. Andrews St. Joseph Bay St. Martins Marsh Terra Ceia Yellow River Marsh

National Estuarine Research Reserves Apalachicola Rookery Bay



### GEMS Managed by US Fish & Wildlife Service
Caloosahatchee NWR Cedar Keys NWR Chassahowitza NWR 

### Florida's Gulf Ecological Management Sites http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/gems.htm

1 of 2 10/14/2011 3:32 PMCrystal River NWR Egmont Key NWR Great White Heron NWR Island Bay NWR Key West NWR J. N. "Ding" Darling NWR Lower Suwannee NWR Matlacha Pass NWR National Key Deer NWR Passage Key NWR Pine Island NWR Pinellas NWR St. Marks NWR St. Vincent NWR Ten Thousand Islands NWR

Last updated: July 07, 2011
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard M.S. 235 Tallahassee, Florida 32399 850-245-2094 (phone) / 850-245-2110 (fax) Contact Us DEP Home | About DEP | Contact Us | Search | Site Map 

### Florida's Gulf Ecological Management Sites http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/gems.htm

2 of 2 10/14/2011 3:32 PM