- 60 percent of the continental United States drains into the Gulf of Mexico.
- Since 1990, hurricanes and tropical storms have cost the region more than $100 billion in damages to homes and property and over 9,000 deaths.
- Coastal tourism and recreational activities employ over 620,000 people in the region, yielding over $9 billion in wages annually.
- Roughly half of U.S wetlands are located along the Gulf Coast and serve as critical habitat for 75 percent of migratory waterfowl entering the country.
