Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Initiative for Selected Systems in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

McAnally, W. H., Jackson, R. E., Cebrian, J., Fulford, R., Green, S., Hendon, J., Lohrenz, S., Owens, A., Peterson, M., Swenson, E., Harding, J. M., & Lartigue, J. (2010). Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Initiative for Selected Systems in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi State University: Northern Gulf Institute.

The specific objectives of this report are to: • Identify and summarize IEA Drivers and Pressures for three representative systems in the northern Gulf of Mexico thus completing step 1 of the Levin et al (2008) 5-step IEA process. • Identify the similarities and differences in Drivers and Pressures among the three systems • Formulate an approach to complete the full 5-step IEA process for the Gulf of Mexico The representative systems are Perdido Bay, Florida; Mississippi Sound, Mississippi; and Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Drivers and pressures are defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Framework, which is a component of an Ecosystem Approach to Management (EAM).