Why is Habitat Restoration Near the Gulf of America Essential?
Gulf Coast coastal wetlands constitute 66% of the total estuarine wetland acreage in the conterminous 48 states. These wetlands provide ecosystem services that are vital to the health and well-being of our nation. They serve as buffers, protecting coastal areas from storm damage and sea level rise. They support commercial and recreational fisheries, providing essential fish and shellfish habitat. Wetlands serve as nesting and foraging habitat for birds and other wildlife, improve water quality by removing pollutants, nutrients, and sediments. Wetlands minimize erosion of uplands, protect property and infrastructure and support tourism, hunting, and fishing.
There are a number of threats to wetland habitats, including:
- conversion of wetlands to other land uses
- climate change
- freshwater inflow
- saltwater intrusion
Look beyond the beauty of our coastal wetlands, and you’ll find this habitat hard at work. Wetlands filter our water, protect our coastal communities from floods, and provide habitat for fish and other wildlife.
A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water and characterized by plants that can tolerate wet soils and low oxygen levels at their roots. Coastal wetlands include all wetlands in coastal watersheds—the entire area from which tidal streams drain to the ocean or inland seas.