2020 Gulf of Mexico Workshop

Fifteen years ago, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. Ten years ago, the Deepwater Horizon drill rig ruptured.In 2019, historic flooding in the Midwest sent a gigantic pulse of freshwater down the Mississippi River and out into the Gulf, killing oysters, triggering toxic algae blooms and expanding the Gulf’s infamous “Dead Zone.” Year after year, catastrophes grab headlines in the Gulf, highlighting the complex natural resource issues that impact people, ecosystems and economies along coast every day.

Over the course of a two-day online workshop, participating journalists explored how this vibrant, often unappreciated, ecosystem supports and is shaped by human activity. Topics included:

The legacy of the BP oil spill and current oil and gas activity in the Gulf
The impact of Mississippi River flooding on sensitive saltwater ecosystems, shrimp and oyster fisheries and beach town tourism
Climate migration and gentrification in coastline communities as Louisiana loses land to rising seas
Efforts to prevent flooding, prepare for hurricanes and protect homes and industrial infrastructure
Environmental injustices where the Gulf’s global economy intersects with local communities

Participants had the opportunity to speak with local residents, fishermen, municipal officials, state agencies, industry representatives, environmental historians, activists and more, as we took a deep dive into pressing environmental, economic and social issues in the Gulf of Mexico.