Gulf of America Alliance backs six projects with $2.2 million in NOAA funding

The Gulf of America Alliance is funding six new projects across the Gulf region with $2.2 million from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. The work is aimed at community resilience, data sharing, education, habitat and water resources, and wildlife and fisheries through November 2027.

Why it matters: - The $2.2 million investment is designed to help Gulf states work together on shared coastal priorities instead of duplicating efforts. - The projects target practical needs that affect communities, ecosystems, and resource management across the region. - The funding supports tools and resources that can improve resilience, planning, and education in Gulf Coast communities.

What happened: - The Gulf of America Alliance announced six new projects funded by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management. - The awards are part of a broader Regional Ocean Partnership effort serving the five Gulf states. - Four Regional Ocean Partnerships, including the Gulf of America Alliance, received similar awards. - Laura Bowie, executive director of the Gulf of America Alliance, said the partnership provides "unique capacity for intentional, efficient collaboration and coordination at the regional scale." - Bowie said the region can accomplish more by working together than any single organization can alone.

The details: - The six projects will focus on coastal community resilience, data accessibility and sharing, environmental education, habitat and water resources, and wildlife and fisheries. - Each project aligns with the Alliance’s Governors’ Action Plan IV for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, a five-year strategic plan developed with Gulf states and partners. - The projects will run through November 2027. - Since Regional Ocean Partnership funding began, the Gulf of America Alliance has awarded 27 projects totaling more than $8 million across the five Gulf states. - Regional Ocean Partnerships have operated for nearly two decades and were formally authorized by Congress in 2022. - The Alliance says its network includes more than 165 participating organizations from government, academia, nonprofits, communities, and industry.

• The Nature Conservancy will lead a Gulfwide project called Increasing Community Resilience by Protecting Future Gulf Coast Wetlands.
• That project will map high-priority conservation areas and develop a best-practices guide for tidal wetlands and adjacent uplands.

• The guide will emphasize voluntary conservation programs, local planning, and other management practices.

• Esri will lead Improving Data Comparability and Accessibility Across the Gulf Region.

• The project will create a sourcebook of mapping standards for oyster and seagrass habitats.

• The project will also provide geospatial resources through a Gulf Living Atlas to improve data access.

• Mississippi State University will lead Online Professional Development for Education and Engagement Products.

• The project will create online professional development courses and lesson plans aligned to state standards.

• The materials will support the Alliance’s Waters to the Sea: Gulf Coast Adventure and Gulf Literacy Principles products.

• Mississippi State University will also lead Assessing the Impact of Neighboring Shoreline Management in Mississippi.

• That project will evaluate the physical effects of living shorelines versus bulkheads on nearby shorelines.

• The results will be shared with private property owners and natural resource managers.

• The Harte Research Institute will lead Movement Ecology of Female Shortfin Mako Sharks in the Gulf.

• The project will use satellite tagging to track movement patterns and habitat use of female mako sharks.

• The research is intended to improve understanding of stock structure and inform conservation and fisheries management.

• Auburn University will lead Understanding Dynamics of Septic System Pollution Potential in the Gulf Region.

• The project will install long-term monitoring stations at septic system sites.
• The work will examine pollution drivers and links between surface water, groundwater, and soil types.
• The project will also refine pollution potential models for coastal communities in the Gulf region.

Between the lines: - The project mix shows a push to connect science, planning, and public outreach across the Gulf rather than treating each issue separately. - The emphasis on shared data standards and regional tools suggests the Alliance is trying to make local decisions easier to compare and scale. - Several projects are built to produce reusable products, which may have longer-term value beyond the current funding cycle.

What's next: - The six projects will move forward through November 2027. - The Alliance will continue using Regional Ocean Partnership funding to support Gulf-state priorities. - Project results are expected to inform conservation, education, shoreline management, and pollution planning across the region.

The bottom line: - The Gulf of America Alliance is using federal funding to turn regional coordination into concrete tools, research, and guidance for Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems.