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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.

See The Gulf of Mexico Alliance for 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

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Crystal 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

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

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