Facts About Eastern Gulf of Mexico States

Summary

Mississippi designated the Largemouth Bass as the official State fish in 1974, and it is the State freshwater fish in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. The Pascagoula River is a unique resource because it is the only nearly completely free flowing (undammed) river in the region. With more than 10 cubic kilometers (2.4 cu mi) of water flowing per year into the Gulf of Mexico, it is the largest (by volume) undammed river in the contiguous 48 States. In fact, it is also the largest undammed river in the warm, humid region (Köppen climate classification zone), with southeastern Brazil claiming the second and third largest rivers in the climate zone. As a result, there continues to be a concerted effort to prevent dam construction on the Pascagoula [...]

Summary

Mississippi designated the Largemouth Bass as the official State fish in 1974, and it is the State freshwater fish in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
The Pascagoula River is a unique resource because it is the only nearly completely free flowing (undammed) river in the region. With more than 10 cubic kilometers (2.4 cu mi) of water flowing per year into the Gulf of Mexico, it is the largest (by volume) undammed river in the contiguous 48 States. In fact, it is also the largest undammed river in the warm, humid region (Köppen climate classification zone), with southeastern Brazil claiming the second and third largest rivers in the climate zone. As a result, there continues to be a concerted effort to prevent dam construction on the Pascagoula River.
The Pascagoula is often called the "Singing River." According to legend, the peace-loving Pascagoula Indian tribe sang as they walked hand-in-hand into the river to avoid fighting with the invading Biloxi tribe. It is said that on quiet nights you can still hear them singing their death chant.
The Mississippi Sound extends from Louisiana to Alabama, spanning the entire Gulf coast of the State of Mississippi. The Sound is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a series of narrow islands and sand bars including Cat, Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, and Dauphin Islands. Water exchange with the Gulf takes place through many passes. Numerous coastal bays are contained within the system including St. Louis Bay, Biloxi Bay, Pascagoula Bay, and Grand Bay. The Escatawpa, Pascagoula, Tchoutacabouffa, Biloxi, Wolf, and Jourdan Rivers (east to west) provide freshwater to the estuary.
The Mississippi Department of Natural Resources maintains more than 20 marine reserves in the Mississippi Sound.
The Tallapoosa River, especially its lower course, was a major Creek Indian population center before the early 19th century. The contemporary name of the river is from the Creek words "Talwa posa," which means Grandmother Town. The Creek Indians consider the Tallapoosa branch of their tribe to be one of the oldest.
The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers. Most of the river has been impounded by dams that produce hydroelectric power but also negatively affect some species native to the Coosa River.
In the Middle Coosa River Watershed, 281 occurrences of rare plant and animal species and natural communities have been documented, including 73 occurrences of 23 species that are federally or state protected.
According to research, 26 of the 82 species of aquatic gastropods historically known to live in the Coosa River Basin are now considered extinct. In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed two snails and one mussel found in the Coosa River drainage system as endangered: the Georgia Pigtoe mussel, the Interrupted Rocksnail, and the Rough Hornsnail. In 2004, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources researchers discovered two snails that were previously thought to be extinct, the Coosa Elimia and the Teardrop Elimia, in a stretch of the Coosa River below Lake Neely Henry.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has been recently reestablishing Lake Sturgeon in the upper Coosa River system, which were abundant until the early 1900s. Only remnant populations could be found in the 1960s and these subsequently disappeared.
North American freshwater mussels have the highest diversity in the Southeastern United States, particularly in Alabama (180 species), Tennessee (approximately 130 species), and Georgia (approximately 126 species). Alabama, with about 180 species, has one of the richest and most diverse assemblages of mussels in the world. Approximately two-thirds of North American mussel species have been reported from Alabama.
Mangrove wetlands along the South Atlantic coast are limited to Florida because of their sensitivity to freezing temperatures and include all three main species of mangroves: red mangrove, black mangrove, and white mangrove.
Tampa Bay is the largest open-water estuary in Florida, but has an average depth of only 12 feet (3.7 meters). More than 200 species of fish are found in Tampa Bay. Each square meter of bay sediment contains an average of 10,000 animals. Ships carry more than 4 billion gallons (15 thousand cubic meters) of oil, fertilizer components, and other hazardous materials through Tampa Bay each year.

Contacts

Author :: Steve Crawford, Gary Whelan, Pam L Fuller
Curator :: Daniel J Wieferich, Ricardo McClees-Funinan

Attached Files

sorting

Metadata First

Recent First

Alphabetical

Related External Resources

Type: Citation

State Symbols USA: Largemouth Bass - Mississippi State Fish	http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/mississippi/state-fish-aquatic-life/largemouth-bass
The Nature Conservancy, Places we Protect: Mississippi Pascagoula River Watershed	http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/mississippi/placesweprotect/pascagoula-river-watershed.xml
The Rivers of Mississippi: The Pascagoula River Basin	http://ms.water.usgs.gov/ms_proj/eric/pasca.html
The Köppen Climate Classification System	http://www.thesustainabilitycouncil.org/resources/the-koppen-climate-classification-system/
Resource Database for Gulf of Mexico Research: Mississippi Sound	http://www.gulfbase.org/bay/view.php?bid=mississippi1
The USGS Water Science School - Hydroelectric Power: How it Works	http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html
FishBase: Lake Sturgeon	http://www.fishbase.org/summary/2591
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 215 / Thursday, November 6, 2014 / Notices	https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-11-06/pdf/2014-26362.pdf
Encyclopedia of Alabama: Freshwater Mussels of Alabama	http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1629

Purpose

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) is partnering with the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) to produce the 2015 report entitled, "Through a Fish's Eye: The Status of Fish Habitats in the United States 2015". The information contained within this item is a product of NFHP. The Bureau is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy or the use of the scientific content within this item. This content is considered preliminary pending subsequent review and approval.

Facts About Eastern Gulf of Mexico States

Summary

Summary

Contacts

Attached Files

sorting

Metadata First

Recent First

Alphabetical

Purpose

Map

Spatial Services

Associated Items

Tags

Provenance

Item Actions

View Item as ...

Save Item as ...

View Item...

Summary

Summary

Contacts

Attached Files sorting Metadata First Recent First Alphabetical

Related External Resources

Purpose

Map

Spatial Services

Associated Items

Tags

Provenance

Item Actions

View Item as ...

Save Item as ...

View Item...

Attached Files

sorting

Metadata First

Recent First

Alphabetical