b'G R O W I N G U R T U R I N G L I V I N G R O M O T I N X P L O R I N GN P G EEconomy Environment Communities Education TourismSURFACE WATERGOMA Tackles Plastic Polution Other GOMA projects help to assess, reduce, prevent, and eliminate marine debris in the Gulf of Mexico. Businesses that no longer want to employ single-use plastics such as straws and utensils have been given funding to make the initial switch to new productsskipping the plastic can have an immediate impact on reducing pollution. A local Mississippi restaurant reduced its single-use plastics by 80%, which included eliminating the use of 4,000 plastic straws each week.Citizen scientists across the entire Gulf region are R O W I N G U R T U R I N L I V I N G R O M O T I N X P L O R I N GG G now sampling microplastics in water and sand N P G Efor several GOMA projects, building a database and online map used by scientists and the public to better understand the amount and location of plastic pellets, fibers, and fragments along Economy Environment Communities Education Tourism The Diamondback Terrapin is a native the shoreline. Volunteers lead regular cleanup events to remove trash from beaches and collect additional data for scientists on the types of debristurtle with one of the largest ranges of they find. all turtles in North America. Stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod, it calls the brackish coastal swamps of eastern and southern United States home.Making a Difference The Alliance and its partners continue to collaborate in new ways to create tangible,GulfofMexicoAlliance.orgimpactful changes in the Gulf. This includes a unique social media campaign to Embrace the Gulf launched in January. Embrace the Gulf shares positive messages and encourages simple actions that everyone can act on to make a difference, including skipping single-use plastics and choosing to eat sustainable seafood. Photo: Elizabeth Englebretson Citizens can become directly involved in GOMAs programs by joining a Priority Issue Team. Each team focuses on a different issue, such as coastal resilience, education & engagement, and water resources. Teams hold regular meetings to discuss their projects and to identify new ways to enhance the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Get involved today! Whos Minding the Planet? 25'