Gulf Coast communities and oil drilling are once again at the center of a national decision, and the stakes could not be higher. A new US offshore oil drilling plan proposes expanded lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, including areas close to Florida that many thought were protected. This episode asks a simple but urgent question: who benefits from these decisions, and who bears the long-term cost when something goes wrong?

Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling has a long history of environmental damage, economic disruption, and broken promises. Scott Eustis from Healthy Gulf explains how drilling threatens fisheries, tourism, coastal ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them. Drawing from science and lived experience, he connects today’s policy decisions to lessons learned from past disasters, including Deepwater Horizon, and explains why recovery is still not complete more than a decade later.

Protect the Gulf of Mexico is not just a slogan, it is a call grounded in science, justice, and community voices. One of the most surprising insights from this conversation is how some coastal communities that rely on clean water and healthy fisheries are excluded from decision-making, even though they face the greatest risks. This episode shows why offshore drilling is not just an environmental issue, it is a human one.

Chapters:
00:00 What is the new US offshore drilling plan for the Gulf of Mexico?
05:12 Why are Gulf Coast communities concerned about new oil leases?
10:18 How close would offshore drilling be to Florida’s coast?
15:34 What environmental risks does offshore drilling pose in the Gulf?
20:41 How did Deepwater Horizon change the Gulf of Mexico long term?
25:57 Who benefits financially from offshore oil drilling decisions?
31:22 How are fisheries and tourism affected by offshore drilling?
36:45 Why are community voices often missing from federal decisions?
42:01 What role does science play in opposing offshore drilling?
47:10 How can people help protect the Gulf of Mexico right now?

#oceanconservation #MarineBiology #SaveOurOceans #ProtectTheOcean #OceanAwareness #BluePlanet #ConservationMatters #ScienceForChange #SustainableOceans
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