Publications:
Fact Cards
 Galveston
Bay is a premier Texas resource. The bay
provides important natural habitats for
many species; it is an important transportation
artery-the Port of Houston is the third
largest port in the country; it provides
one third of the state's commercial fishing
income; and it serves as a general indicator
of the health of the environment. Approximately
4 million people live and work in watershed-half
the population of the state of Texas lives
in the watershed and impacts the bay.
Facts About the Estuary
- Seventy-five
percent of the bird species in North
America spend some time in
Galveston Bay.
- More
than 10,000 recreational boats are registered
in the Galveston Bay area, the third
largest concentration of recreational
boats in the US.
- Over
half the state's recreational fishing
expenditures (valued at $600 million
annually) are related to Galveston Bay.
- The
Port of Houston is the second largest
in the US and eighth largest in the
world in tonnage. It generates $5.5
billion in annual revenues.
- The
Houston-Gulf Coast Region accounts for
almost half of the nation's basic petrochemicals
manufacturing capacity and over one-third
of the nation's
petroleum refining.
Health
of the Estuary
- Over
35,000 acres of coastal wetlands have
been lost since 1960 due to subsidence,
erosion, dredge and fill activities,
and development.
- Some
urban tributaries to the bay continue
to experience low dissolved oxygen levels.
- Chlorophyl-a
levels have declined to 25 percent of
their 1975 values; however, populations
of planktivorous fishes have increased.
- Although
oyster populations are increasing, they
still remain well below levels found
in Galveston Bay prior to shell dredging.
- Harvestable
areas on existing reefs continue to
increase.
- Total
suspended solids, fecal coliform, total
phosphorus, and oil and grease loadings
are greater from non-point sources than
point sources.
- Recent
risk assessments conclude that finfish
and blue crabs in many parts of Galveston
Bay are safe to eat except for a few
areas near high urban land uses where
advisories remain.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- Testing
innovative seeding techniques to reduce
the cost and time involved in
restoring seagrasses.
- Continue
to foster coordination and communication
among state and federal resource agencies
for the many cross-jurisdictional initiatives.
- Leveraged
some $6 million from local state and
federal partners since 1997 to restore
several hundred acres of habitat in
the Galveston Bay area.
- Trained
over 20 teachers through the Galveston
Bay Education Program. The teachers
will potentially reach over 200 students.
- Sponsored
Marsh Mania, a national record-breaking
volunteer habitat restoration event
led by the local Galveston Bay Foundation.
- Developed
an integrated database to establish
a systematic mechanism to determine
the status and trends data of Galveston
Bay health.
- Initiated
a grant program to increase bay stewardship.
For
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Estuary Program files,
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