There is nowhere on Earth quite like the Gulf of Mexico. From the coastal barrier islands, mangroves and marshes to the deep water and open ocean biological communities, the Gulf represents a diverse array of ecosytems. Click through the photos above to see some of our favorite creatures and ecosystems in the Gulf.
The Gulf's Amazing Creatures
Brown Pelican
Contemplation courtesy of Ron Wooten on Flickr by permission.
Sargassum
Sargassum Habitat courtesy of Ron Wooten on Flickr by permission.
Juvenile Brown Pelican
Courtesy of Ron Wooten on Flickr by permission.
Nesting Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Public Domain
Dolphins accompanying ECOGIG research vessel
(c) ECOGIG
Female Blue Crab
Female blue crab on the Gulf Coast courtesy of by jere7my thorpe via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA)
Deepwater coral community with brittle stars & anemones
Photo courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust and ECOGIG.
Squat lobster and sea fans
(c) ECOGIG
Tubeworms at Hydrocarbon Seep
Photo courtesy of Ian MacDonald (ECOGIG)
Swimming group of dolphins in the Gulf
(c) ECOGIG
Mussels at the edge of a brine pool
Photo courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust
Bottlenose Dolphin
(c) ECOGIG
Whale Shark
Whale Shark and Free Diver by feefiona123 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of NOAA
West Indian Manatee (Florida subspecies)
Endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) by USFWS Endangered Species is licensed under CC BY-2.0.
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