Gulf Restoration Network

GRN’s vision is that the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be a natural, economic, and recreational resource that is central to the culture and heritage of five states and three nations. The people of the region will be stewards of this vital but imperiled treasure, and they will assume the responsibility of returning the Gulf to its previous splendor.

Within this vision,  GRN’s misson is to unite and empower people to protect and restore the resources of the Gulf Region for future generations. To this end, the GRN works to provide technical support and mentoring to grassroots groups, to connect our members to developments on national and regional issues of importance to their work, and to provide coordination, when needed, of member activities across the region.

Gulf Restoration Network provides GMC with unique local knowledge from having field monitoring programs, extensive volunteer networks, and media connections in all five Gulf states. GRN is pleased to be part of the Consortium, because when multiple voices speak together, we are all more powerful.

Louisiana Bucket Brigade

Louisiana Bucket Brigade is an environmental health and justice organization working with communities that neighbor the state’s oil refineries and chemical plants. Our mission is to support communities’ use of grassroots action to create informed, sustainable neighborhoods free from industrial pollution.

Our purpose is to assist fenceline neighbors in their campaigns to make industry accountable for its pollution. Though the EPA-approved bucket (an easy-to-use air sampling device) is an important part of the assistance we provide, it is only one part of a tool box that includes education, assistance with organizing, media and other types of sampling (water, soil, seafood). We use these tools to help community groups achieve their goals, be it relocation away from a polluting facility, reduced emissions or a moratorium on facility expansions. The more evidence the communities gather, the more power they have to achieve their goals.

LABB provides GMC partners with an extensive community network of concerned citizens who contribute on-the-ground reports to the iWitness Pollution map, as well as substantial experience working with onshore pollution events. As a part of GMC, LABB brings together a comprehensive picture of pollution in coastal lands and waters and amplifies our credibility working with communities, government, and industry.

Public Lab 

Public Lab pioneered balloon and kite mapping techniques which have been used to map oiled marshes of Louisiana and monitor wetlands restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast. Additionally, they support the open source development of low-cost versions of several other important scientific tools, including spectrometers for identifying unknown substances in water samples, infrared cameras for tracking plant health, and monitors for tracking indoor air quality. Public Lab brings experience, resources and reputation to the Consortium, providing connections to the open-source and Maker communities, and contributing a point of view that sees every resident along the coast as a “citizen scientist.”

SkyTruth

SkyTruth promotes environmental awareness and protection through the use of remote sensing and digital mapping technology. We use scientifically credible satellite images and other digital tools to create stunning images that document the environmental impacts of human activities, and help stimulate changes in energy extraction, habitat protection, and sustainable resource management. We work closely with environmental advocates and others to design our projects and make our results accessible to the media, government agencies, scientists and the public.  SkyTruth envisions a world where all people can see and understand the environmental consequences of human activity everywhere on Earth, and are motivated to take action to protect it.

SkyTruth provides the GMC with a big picture view from space, using satellite imaging to monitor conditions throughout the Gulf, spot potential oil spills over a broad area, and alert other GMC member to incidents that merit further investigation.

SouthWings

SouthWings takes people up in the air to see environmental challenges in a way no one bound to the Earth can. We craft flight experiences that give passengers the inspiration and evidence they need to take action to protect and restore the communities and ecosystems of the Southeast. Without exception, the flight experience and the powerful stories we bring back to Earth draw reactions, open eyes, and lead our partners to creative conservation solutions.

SouthWings provides GMC with a birds eye view of pollution events, allowing activists and others to see spills first hand, document their extent and impact, and target specific areas for further monitoring.

Waterkeeper Alliance

Waterkeeper Alliance provides a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally.  The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide.  Our belief is that the best way to achieve this vision is through the Waterkeeper method of grassroots advocacy.

We aspire to protect every major watershed around the world.   Today, nearly 200 Waterkeeper Organizations on six continents are defending their communities against those who threaten their right to clean water—from law-breaking polluters to unresponsive government agencies.

For the GMC, the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, Mobile Baykeeper, and Suncoast Waterkeeper provide on-the-water observation and sampling to track changes in environmental quality in the wake of the BP spill, and document the impacts of current or future pollution events.